Church programs for Monday, Jan. 22 will resume their normal schedule at all locations this evening.
Leawood’s Sunday night in-person worship has been moved to 4 pm for Sunday, February 11.
1 All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. 2 The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
6 When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.
9 When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.”
22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly, bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! 23 Fetch the fattened calf and slaughter it. We must celebrate with feasting 24 because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
31 Then his father said, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found.’”
Jesus told the three stories in Luke 15 to “tax collectors and sinners,” people who had given up on God. Why not? They thought God had given up on them. The “church people” they knew criticized Jesus for even talking to them (Luke 15:1-2). But Jesus also told the stories to those very church people (who were sinners too, after all!). All three stories said nothing sets off more celebrating in heaven than when even one of God’s wandering children comes back to God. Not intimidated in the least by his self-righteous critics, Jesus told them God throws a party for every lost “sheep,” “coin” or most of all “child” found. When he spoke of “ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives,” we can be quite sure he was using irony to describe the critics’ attitude. He knew Pharisees needed finding, too—but, sadly, they didn’t know it.
Lord Jesus, I want to “enter in” to the joy of your kingdom and celebrate what you are doing in other’s lives. Move me from a “tit for tat” existence to an exuberant, abundant life. Amen.
Brent Messick, now retired, was formerly Church of the Resurrection’s Managing Executive Director of Operations.
* N. T. Wright, Luke for Everyone. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p. 188.