Lost Son

11Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:11-24, NRSV)

This is known as the Prodigal Son or as this blog is titled The Lost Son.

But is this story really about the son? I mean the son is a player in the story. But I would say the son is not the one who the story is about. The story starts, “There was a man who had two sons.” Not there was a man who had an older brother and a father. But there was a man who had two sons. So the story is about the father and the extravagant love that the father has for his children. And the lengths to which the father will go for his children.

I image the father in this story to be like Marlin from Finding Nemo. Going to the ends of the ocean to find his son.

God loves you and God’s grace will never end.

Lost Sheep, Lost Coin

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3So he told them this parable: 4“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:1-10, NRSV)

This chapter is about lost things. Things that someone has lost and how they can be found.

It is also sometimes known for being about repentance.

If it is about repentance, how does a sheep repent and how does a coin repent?

You see I want to say these stories are not about the sheep or the coin. They are major players in the story but they are not the main ones.

The first story is about you and the second one is about a woman. They are about the people that lost the things. The shepherd, or you, look high and low for the sheep that wondered off leaving the rest of the flock to fend for each other. And the woman turns the house over looking for the lost coin.

How far would you go to find something you lost?

And what would you do once it is found?

Teaching on Worrying

31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:31-34, NRSV)

Every little thing is going to be alright!

You see God loves you and knows your needs. God will provide for your needs.

Worrying doesn’t help you live the life God has called you to. Worry kills you and takes away joy. So fill your life with God’s joy and live the life God has for you.

And rest in God’s love.

Teaching on Possesions

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? (Matthew 6:25-30, NRSV)

What does worry really do to us?

Does it make the thing we are worrying about go away?

Does it allow us to get other things done?

I read something recently about how worry is like air in a cup. It is near impossible to get air out of a cup. You can’t shake it out. If you turn the cup upside down the air us still there. The only way to get air out of a cup is to put something else in the cup. If you fill the cup with water then the air is gone.

So to get the worry out of your life you need to put something else in its place. Prayer. If you fill your life with prayer then there will be no place for worry.

More Teaching

22“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; 23but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. (Matthew 6:22-24, NRSV)

The eye is the lamp of the body. How is your sight?

Where are you looking?

Remember you can not serve 2 masters. You will really only serve one and despise the other.

So are you looking at Jesus or are you looking at something else?

The Lord’s Prayer

7“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.10Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:7-21, NRSV)

Why do we pray these words every week?

Jesus said pray in this way, not pray these words. Jesus was helping understand how we can come to God for everything and in everything we do we should do it for our relationship with God and not so others see us and think we are pious or doing what we should.

We should store our treasures where nothing can take away from it and we will be replenished. We should not worry about how we will be blessed again but live in and through the blessing we have.

Genuine Piety

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-6, NRSV)

Why do you give when you give to something? Is it to be seen by others so they will know how generous you are?

Do you make sure people see you and call attention to your self as you go to give?

The that is truly your award. But is we give because we have been blessed, then it is out of our hands on what we get, if we get anything. Sometimes I find that giving in itself is enough of an award,

So don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing…

And give because you have been blessed by God to be a blessing to the world.

Plans for a future and a hope…

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Have you ever wondered if there was a plan for your life? Or how about a plan for us here at St. John’s?

Like there seems to be a road map that your life is following only you have never seen it…

Jeremiah is an interesting book that starts with a calling to a boy who says he is too young and unable to speak, leading through to many conversations with him and many peoples for God. All of this leads to the verse above in chapter 29.

God knows the plans He has for each and every one of us and for this place, plans for us to prosper and not fall, plans for a future and a hope. That hope is Jesus Christ! He is the future and the hope each of us can base our lives on, He is the map that will lead us to where we need to go. If we will follow where He is leading us our lives and the path for St. John’s will be clear. It may not always be easy but it will be clear for us.

St. John’s has a future and a hope. Let us focus together on where God is leading us and let us pull together and follow after Him.

So remember to notice where Jesus is working, to share that and invite others to come and see and to always keep Jesus in view, and be ready for the ride of your life as we continue to His wonderful mission here in this place!

Teaching on Loving Enemies

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48, NRSV)

It is easy to love those who love you and to be nice to those who are nice to you. But God makes the sun rise on the good and the evil and send rain on the righteous and unrighteous so we are all in this together. So as followers of Christ we need to rise above the rest and show love to all.

And as Martin Luther King, Jr. says, “Love is the only thing that can turn an enemy into a friend.”

So love them as Christ loves you!

Teaching on Nonviolence

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:38-42, NRSV)

I found this image and said wow…

You see in Jesus day it was the right of any Roman soldier to ask anyone to carry their pack and it was law the person had to carry it 1 mile. And the eye for an eye was so that retribution would be just and I could get no more from you than you took from me.

But here Jesus tells us not to get retribution but to give more than we are supposed to. To be generous with what we have been given. And thereby show love to all.