Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Favored are those who have been invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb.” He said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said, “Don’t do that! I’m a servant just like you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the witness of Jesus. Worship God! The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy!” (Revelation 19:9-10, CEB)
We should not worship another human, for all of us are on the same level. We are all brothers and sisters, children of God.
After this I heard what sounded like a huge crowd in heaven. They said,
“Hallelujah! The salvation and glory and power of our God! His judgments are true and just, because he judged the great prostitute, who ruined the earth by her whoring, and he exacted the penalty for the blood of his servants from her hand.”
Then they said a second time,
“Hallelujah! Smoke goes up from her forever and always.”
The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who is seated on the throne, and they said, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
Then a voice went out from the throne and said,
“Praise our God, all you his servants, and you who fear him, both small and great.”
And I heard something that sounded like a huge crowd, like rushing water and powerful thunder. They said,
“Hallelujah! The Lord our God, the Almighty, exercised his royal power! Let us rejoice and celebrate, and give him the glory, for the wedding day of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. She was given fine, pure white linen to wear, for the fine linen is the saints’ acts of justice.”
(Revelation 19:1-8, CEB)
What does all this mean?
Where is the smoke coming from?
Who are the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures?
How does a crowd sound like rushing water and powerful thunder?
The vision from Revelation seems meant to scare us more than it helps us relax. But it is supposed to help us trust that God has all of this and us in hand and will see us through. No matter what comes, God is in control.
All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus told them this parable:
Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the inheritance.’ Then the father divided his estate between them. Soon afterward, the younger son gathered everything together and took a trip to a land far away. There, he wasted his wealth through extravagant living. “When he had used up his resources, a severe food shortage arose in that country and he began to be in need. He hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from what the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, but I’m starving to death! I will get up and go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Take me on as one of your hired hands.” ’ So he got up and went to his father. “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. His father ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him. Then his son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ 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! Fetch the fattened calf and slaughter it. We must celebrate with feasting because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field. Coming in from the field, he approached the house and heard music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. The servant replied, ‘Your brother has arrived, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he received his son back safe and sound.’ Then the older son was furious and didn’t want to enter in, but his father came out and begged him. He answered his father, ‘Look, I’ve served you all these years, and I never disobeyed your instruction. Yet you’ve never given me as much as a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours returned, after gobbling up your estate on prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ Then his father said, ‘Son, 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. He was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32, CEB)
The story above is the story we usually refer to as the prodigal son. But is this story about the son? And if so which son, because there are two.
And we refer to this chapter as the chapter of repentance. And if you remember from yesterday’s devotion, there are some bad jokes about sheep and coins repenting. I’ve been baaaad and I promise I’ll change. But even those stories are not about the lost sheep or the lost coin. They don’t begin, there was a sheep who had 99 other sheep under the shepherd, or there was a coin who along with 9 other coins belonged to a woman. There was a shepherd who had 100 sheep and there was a woman who had 10 coins.
And today’s story doesn’t start, there was a man who had an older brother and a father. No. It begins, there was a man who had two sons. The story is not about the younger son, but about the father.
Now the younger son gets the credit for this story because he wants his father dead so he can have his money. Then he goes off and spends the money. And how? He wasted his wealth through extravagant living. He had parties and bought expensive things. But then he came to his senses. But again this is not a story about a son, but a father.
A father who heard his son say I wish you were dead and instead of saying get out, he loved his son and divided his wealth and gave what would be the younger sons to him. And then he let his son leave. And then the father just believed his son had died? No.
The younger son came to his senses and knew that if he returned home he could ask to be a hired hand on the family farm because the servants have plenty and there was room for him. So he returned with his planned speech for his father. But the reading says, “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. His father ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him.” His father was not sitting in the house waiting, he was out looking for his son, walking the edge of the property, in my opinion, watching and waiting for his son to return. And when the father saw the son coming, he ran to him. The father ran. Men of this man’s stature would not run, they had servants for that. But he humbled himself and ran and kissed his son because he knew he would return and he did.
This story reminds me of the film Finding Nemo. Where Marlin goes out looking for his son who was taken. He goes and hangs out with sharks and sea turtles and faces the East Australian Current. He faces all kinds of dangers because he knows his son is out there and needs him. And that is what the father does for the son. He knows the son needs him, even when the son doesn’t know that.
And let’s not forget the older brother, who throws a royal hissy fit when he finds out the fatted calf was slaughtered for a party for the freeloader who is now going to weasel in on more inheritance. He doesn’t like that his father has accepted the return of the brother, and doesn’t get it. That the love of the father is all-encompassing and goes to lengths that none of us are prepared for.
You see the Loving Father is a better name for this story because the father here doesn’t care what anyone else thinks but is willing to love his children no matter what. And the father here will humble himself and disregard what the world says he would do as a man in his station of life. He side steps the rules of engagement and dishonors himself so many times.
Giving the younger son the money
Allowing the younger son to want/say he id dead
allowing the younger son to leave
allowing the younger son to return
Running to the younger son
Giving the younger son a robe (This was one of the father’s best robes)
Giving the younger son sandals (This was a mark of being a member of the household and not a slave)
Giving the younger son the ring (This was a signet ring, one to seal documents for the family)
Leaving the party for the younger son to talk to the older son
God does all of these things for all of us. God is ready to run to you and love you where you are. Know that no matter what you have done or where you have gone, God is always right behind you ready for you to be loved.
All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ 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. “Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won’t light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it? When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost coin.’ 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.” (Luke 15:1-10, CEB)
This man eats with and welcomes sinners. If we would all do so well.
This is the beginning of chapter 15 in the Gospel of Luke. It is known by many as the chapter on repentance. Because verse 11 starts the story most of us know as the Prodigal Son. The younger son who wastes all the money his father gave to him. Then the young man comes to his senses and goes home and repents. But is this chapter really about repentance?
There was a shepherd who had 100 sheep and one of them is lost, so he leaves the 99 and goes to look for the lost. And when he FINDS it, he rejoices and celebrates. And there was a woman who had 10 coins and she lost one, and she turned the house over and when she FINDS it she rejoices and celebrates.
Is this chapter about lost things that repent, or about the people that find them?
If it is about lost things that repent, how does a sheep repent? And how does a coin repent? The sheep says, “I’m sorry I’ve been baaaaad.” And the coin says, “I promise I’ll change.”
No this chapter is about the actions of the one who has lost and searched for the thing that was lost. Tomorrow we will hear the difference in the Prodigal Son story, which is a bad name.
So we are always confident, because we know that while we are living in the body, we are away from our home with the Lord. We live by faith and not by sight. We are confident, and we would prefer to leave the body and to be at home with the Lord. So our goal is to be acceptable to him, whether we are at home or away from home. We all must appear before Christ in court so that each person can be paid back for the things that were done while in the body, whether they were good or bad. So we try to persuade people, since we know what it means to fear the Lord. We are well known by God, and I hope that in your heart we are well known by you as well. We aren’t trying to commend ourselves to you again. Instead, we are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us so that you could answer those who take pride in superficial appearance, and not in what is in the heart. If we are crazy, it’s for God’s sake. If we are rational, it’s for your sake. The love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: one died for the sake of all; therefore, all died. He died for the sake of all so that those who are alive should live not for themselves but for the one who died for them and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:6-15, CEB)
We live by faith, not by sight, but people see us and they are led by what we do and how we act. We want to be acceptable to Christ so that our actions bring God’s light to the world. We do not bring God’s light to the world because of what we get for doing it, we do it because God first loved us and gave us light.
So we live our lives in a way that shows the love of God in everything we do. We do not put on appearances and act in a way to impress, but we live our lives and love out loud for all to see and to see the love of God.
We do not masquerade for people to get a different appearance of us, but we live our life out loud showing off the love that God has given us.
So Love out Loud and do not appear to be something you are not. Love as you are loved.
So we aren’t depressed. But even if our bodies are breaking down on the outside, the person that we are on the inside is being renewed every day. Our temporary minor problems are producing an eternal stockpile of glory for us that is beyond all comparison. We don’t focus on the things that can be seen but on the things that can’t be seen. The things that can be seen don’t last, but the things that can’t be seen are eternal. We know that if the tent that we live in on earth is torn down, we have a building from God. It’s a house that isn’t handmade, which is eternal and located in heaven. We groan while we live in this residence. We really want to dress ourselves with our building from heaven— since we assume that when we take off this tent, we won’t find out that we are naked. Yes, while we are in this tent we groan, because we are weighed down. We want to be dressed not undressed, so that what is dying can be swallowed up by life. Now the one who prepared us for this very thing is God, and God gave us the Spirit as a down payment for our home. (2 Corinthians 4:16—5:5, CEB)
Our temporary minor problems are producing an eternal stockpile.
I don’t know about you, but this eternal stockpile is going to be huge!
But honestly, I know and I hope you know that the trials and tribulations we face here will be completely outdone by the glory we will live in in the fulfillment of God’s kindom.
When the new heaven and new earth are formed and we are all finally with God for all of eternity there will be no comparison.
So face the day, knowing that it will get better. Better than you can imagine.
Jesus asked, “What is God’s kingdom like? To what can I compare it? It’s like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in a garden. It grew and developed into a tree and the birds in the sky nested in its branches.” Again he said, “To what can I compare God’s kingdom? It’s like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through the whole.” (Luke 13:18-21, CEB)
It is always interesting to me when we get these images from Jesus.
The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which in Jesus’ day was the smallest known seed. But when it was planted, just like today, it takes over the garden in which it is planted. It is a plant we get mustard from, but it can also be seen as an invasive weed. It takes over and will choke out other vegetation around it.
And yeast, once you add it to flour, there is no going back. It takes over.
So if we are mustard and yeast, then we are changing the world into the kingdom of God.
Be mustard and yeast and share love that will change the world.
Those who have sinned outside the Law will also die outside the Law, and those who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. It isn’t the ones who hear the Law who are righteous in God’s eyes. It is the ones who do what the Law says who will be treated as righteous. Gentiles don’t have the Law. But when they instinctively do what the Law requires they are a Law in themselves, though they don’t have the Law. They show the proof of the Law written on their hearts, and their consciences affirm it. Their conflicting thoughts will accuse them, or even make a defense for them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the hidden truth about human beings through Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:12-16, CEB)
When Gentiles who do not have the law do the law even without knowing it because it is the right thing to do prove the law to be written on their hearts.
It is not simply knowing the law, it is doing it. We will be judged by our actions. Even though there is nothing we can do to earn God’s love we should still love the world because God loves the world and God loves us. We should also love the world.
Be proof that God exists and loves all of creation.
So every single one of you who judge others is without any excuse. You condemn yourself when you judge another person because the one who is judging is doing the same things. We know that God’s judgment agrees with the truth, and his judgment is against those who do these kinds of things. If you judge those who do these kinds of things while you do the same things yourself, think about this: Do you believe that you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you have contempt for the riches of God’s generosity, tolerance, and patience? Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is supposed to lead you to change your heart and life? You are storing up wrath for yourself because of your stubbornness and your heart that refuses to change. God’s just judgment will be revealed on the day of wrath. God will repay everyone based on their works. On the one hand, he will give eternal life to those who look for glory, honor, and immortality based on their patient good work. But on the other hand, there will be wrath and anger for those who obey wickedness instead of the truth because they are acting out of selfishness and disobedience. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. God does not have favorites. (Romans 2:1-11, CEB)
How many of us judge others?
Well everyone should say they do. We all judge others even when we try not to.
And usually when we are deepest in our judgment that is when we are guilty of doing what we are judging others for.
Love will change us and help us to love those around us more.
Do not judge anyone unless you are ready to be put under the same judgment. But instead, love everyone as God has and does still love you. Fully and openly without judgment.
If we love the world as God loves us, imagine what the world would be like!
Some who were present on that occasion told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices. He replied, “Do you think the suffering of these Galileans proves that they were more sinful than all the other Galileans? No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did. What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think that they were more guilty of wrongdoing than everyone else who lives in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did.” Jesus told this parable: “A man owned a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. He said to his gardener, ‘Look, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for the past three years, and I’ve never found any. Cut it down! Why should it continue depleting the soil’s nutrients?’ The gardener responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:1-9, CEB)
I have been told that it and found evidence online that it can take fig trees 3-5 years to produce fruit. So a three-year-old tree may not have fruit yet. So to cut it down before it is given time to be in the right place and growth to produce fruit isn’t allow the tree to be who it was created to be.
Are we ready to do things when we really aren’t? And should we be down on people who may not be in the place they need to be to do something? We should focus on preparing ourselves and deepening our own faith.
Because if we do not allow the growth to happen we will be like the Galileans and those living in Jerusalem.
aSacredRebel 