Luke 15, 16, 17

Luke 15, 16, 17

Overview:  Jesus is teaching.  Several well known parables in these chapters.  The prodigal son.  The lost sheep and the lost coin.  The story of Lazarus and the wealthy man.

"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."(15:20)  I love this moment in the story of the prodigal son.  Of the many sermons I've heard on this passage the one that made the greatest impact on me was the one that focused heavily on this verse.  The son has been gone - off in the far country.  Who knows how long - long enough to squander his inheritance and to arrive at a point of desperation and hopelessness.  And yet the father sees him while he was "still far off".  Did the father just happen to look off into the distance on the right day?  I don't think so.  I think the father had been looking up that road every single day.  Every.  Single.  Day.  With love in his heart and hope that perhaps this would be the day that his heart would not be broken again.  And then came this particular day.  And the father is off the out the door, off the porch and up the road, because what he had hoped for and lived for and somewhere in himself believed against all odds was happening - his son was returning home.  Is there a more poignant illustration of God's love for us.  A better illustration of our unworthiness and yet God is watching and watching and hoping and waiting.
"Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming and he answered, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, nor will they say 'Look here it is!' or 'There it is!'  For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.'"(17:20-21)  When the world seems really broken it can be tempting to hope that one day we will be able to simply say "There it is!".  Jesus points to an experience of the kingdom that is no less powerful, but is, perhaps more subtle and more nuanced.  The kingdom is not alien, the kingdom is among us.  I've been mesmerized by the people of Egypt this past several weeks.  Who would have imagined a month ago what would be transpiring in Egypt today.  And yet there it is.  It was in their midst taking form and preparing to make it's presence powerfully known.  I will not forget the moment when I happened to have on MSNBC and the commentator was telling us tha the Vice President of Egypt was making a statement and as the announcer was stumbling through the interpreters version of the statement words became unnecessary.  There was born such a roar from the people in the square in Cairo whose name is translated Liberty, a roar that grew and grew and grew and was filled with such pure, untainted joy.  And it went on and on and on.  It wasn't here or there.  It was among them.  The kingdom of God is among us.