What God Is Looking For…

Last week we looked at the slowness of Easter’s arrival for the disciples. They were locked away in a room. They were full of fear and doubts. Jesus appears, it would be easy to claim that that fixed everything for the disciples.

But it did not; we know that if we read through the different accounts. It will actually take 50 days for the power of Easter to take off in these followers. It will take 50 days for the spirit of God to draw the disciples back into public and ultimately create a group of people that are bold enough to speak the good news in spite of the dangers.

Last week I asked what it was that was keeping us in this closed room? What things we need Jesus to show us so that we need in order to really celebrate the good news in order to allow people to see Jesus in you and your actions.

Ok, let’s set the stage for today’s scripture, at this point in Luke, Jesus is at the peak of his teaching. Religious leaders are following him around watching him and listening to his every word. But they are not alone….

In Luke 15:1-2 It says, “Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Jesus tells three parables in response. We will look at the third one in our discussion today. Luke 15:11-32

Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ’Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

"When he came to his senses, he said, ’How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

"The son said to him, ’Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

"But the father said to his servants, ’Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ’Your brother has come,’ he replied, ’and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ’Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

" ’My son,’ the father said, ’you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ "

What God is looking for…..

Luke 15:11-31

For the next few weeks we are looking at vision. Not the eyesight kind but more of the picture of the mind. We are going to try to find out what God sees and see if we might move our perspective to be closer to God’s point of view.