Monthly Archives: February 2026

LUKE’S GOSPEL…FAITH IS – 44b

Bible Study, ,

“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There are some things Jesus cannot and will not do for us. 

One thing Jesus does not do is increase our faith in some supernatural way. 

The disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith.  Another person asked Jesus to help his unbelief. 

“A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech…I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not…But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭17‬-‭18‬, ‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How does faith grow? Not by Jesus’ active intervention! Like the muscles in our bodies, faith grows through exercise… and we exercise faith when we come under pressure. Faith is a foundation truth in us when life carries on smoothly. No need to lean hard on Jesus until…we hit an obstacle in the road or we are called on to act or react to something bigger than ourselves. 

Faith can only increase and grow when we put it into practice. Jesus may intervene with circumstances that require us to exercise faith but we must do the believing and trusting ourselves. Jesus cannot do it for us or make us do it. How does this work?

On one occasion, a Roman centurion asked Jesus to heal his paralysed servant. Jesus was on his way to the man’s house when the centurion met him. Protesting his unworthiness, he said something that perfectly illustrated his understanding of the way faith works…and his confidence in Jesus to do what he requested. 

“The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In his desperate need, the centurion leaned his weight on Jesus’ word, “Just say the word…”, and His authority to speak those words. In turn, Jesus praised his “great faith”. 

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This story brings me to the next important fact about faith. Faith must lean its weight on Jesus’ word! This means that we anchor ourselves not only to who He is, the Son of God and Lord, but also to what He has promised. We cannot expect Him to do what He has not promised to do. Why?

Jesus declared that He only spoke and functioned under the authority of the Father. 

“For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ authority is expressed in His words…therefore, He has authorised us to speak on earth what He, under the authority of the Father, has spoken in heaven. When we obey the “chain of command” that operates in God’s kingdom, God’s will is “done on earth as it is done in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). 

Jesus’ words are the creative force we engage when we put our trust in Him in the difficult circumstances of our lives. 

This brings me to the third important fact about the way faith grows. Faith grows under pressure. What does the Bible mean by “under pressure”?

Faith under pressure means that we are called to remain steadfast in our reliance on Jesus either when circumstances are out of our control or when we are called to do something or believe something that is bigger than us. Faith can only issue in faithfulness when faith is pressed into action. 

Hebrews 11 is the record of people who were faithful in both confidence and obedience when they faced something they were called to do that was beyond their human ability to accomplish. The worst of circumstances, as the writer records of those who suffered terrible things but refused to give up, could not turn them away from their persuasion that something better lay ahead. 

“…There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection…These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭35‬, ‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This kind of faithfulness under pressure is the evidence of faith which has an outcome. 

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This kind of faith, also meaning faithfulness, that does not buckle under pressure, that does what we are called to do, is the evidence of our hope in what is unseen and yet to come. When we fix our sights on what Jesus has promised, we never give up, no matter what happens because, although it is still unseen, it is real since Jesus said it would happen. 

This takes faith beyond the material and the now. Unlike those who present faith as the way to get what we want…the “name it and claim it” preachers…faith is about persevering through the “here and now” to Jesus’ ultimate promise. 

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, how do we grow our faith?

“Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.””

‭‭Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did you get that?

On the strength of what Jesus has promised, we call those things that are not yet as though they already are…

…and we persevere in our determination to lean on Jesus to do what He promised even if we don’t see it happen in our lifetime. 

Although our trust in Jesus is also about the little things in everyday life, our faithfulness is ultimately about staying the course no matter what happens because He who has called us is faithful. 

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ NIV

So, again, the life of faith and faithfulness is a partnership between God and us acting together to achieve God’s goal. 

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…FAITH IS- 44a

Bible Study, ,

“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Faith…is the core, the crux, the pivot on which our entire lives as believers function…

“And, without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, what is faith? Is it some theological statement to which we give assent? Is it a magic formula that opens doors for us or through which we get what we want? Is it a crutch we lean on when troubles come? 

The disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith! Can He do that? 

First, let’s go back to the ancient Hebrew use of faith that will help us better understand faith’s pivotal role in our lives. 

The ancient Hebrews were nomadic people. Their forefather, Abraham, lived in tents, moving from place to place according to his circumstances. God’s people spent forty years as nomads in the wilderness before they entered the promised land. They had to face the howling winds of the desert, living in tents that were vulnerable to the weather. 

How would they secure their tents against the force of the wind? They would drive stakes deep into the ground to which they tied their guy ropes, just as campers do today. Their entire security in that environment depended on the reliability of the pegs in the ground. 

What a simple, yet vivid picture of faith! In a mental and spiritual way, we anchor our existence to our ”tent peg”, Jesus, and lean our weight on Him for everything we are, do, and need. Therefore, faith is far more practical than merely giving assent to a truth. Faith is the invisible guy rope tied to Jesus that prevents us from blowing away in the winds of life. 

Next, we must consider the reliability and ability of our “tent peg” to secure us in a dangerous world. Does He have authority to hold us steady, and does He have the power to do what He promises? 

The big questions, for the religious leaders who opposed Jesus was, “From where does your authority come?” and “Who gave you this authority?” They rejected His response and, therefore, they rejected Him, despite the evidence of His works. They called Him a blasphemer and killed Him for claiming to be God. 

“…The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.”

Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭63‬-‭65‬ ‭NIV

How did Jesus prove that He is the Son of God and that He has all authority in heaven and on earth to do whatever He says? Can we believe that what He says is true? Can we anchor our lives to Him because He is reliable?

Jesus made a prediction that would have been impossible to achieve if He were not who He said He was. He said He would rise from the dead…and He did!

“…and who, through the Spirit of holiness, was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, we were created incomplete and unsecured without a “tent peg”, the God who created us and from whom we draw our lives. If we have chosen Jesus as the “stake” to whom we have anchored our lives, not money or any security the world system offers…we must, as John counselled…

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We will only be secure in Jesus because the world system is unreliable and transient. Its values are false and will fail. The only reliable “stake in the ground” is Jesus because He and His values are eternal. 

Why can we trust Him? He is who He said He is and proved it by rising from the dead. Therefore, His promises are trustworthy. He has the authority and power to do what He said He will do because He lives under and has been given all authority by the Father. 

“There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭48‬-‭49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Therefore, when Jesus assured His disciples before He left them…

….“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He meant it. We can lean all our weight on Him. 

Now do you understand what faith really is…? Faith is anchoring our lives to Jesus because He is utterly reliable and has the authority and power to do what He has promised. 

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE AFTERLIFE – 43

Bible Study, ,

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ story about the rich man and Lazarus is probably the clearest glimpse He gave us of the afterlife of both the righteous and the unrighteous. In it, there are a few descriptive details of the state and the experience of two categories of people who died. 

Humans categorise people in many different ways…rich or poor, educated or uneducated, lazy or diligent, even black or white… and the list goes on. However, Jesus categorised people and nations according to their standing before God, righteous or unrighteous, calling nations “sheep” or “goats” (Matthew 25) according to their lifestyle and, consequently, their eternal destiny. 

What was the dividing line? Not belief in God, but the outcome of belief in Him. Believing in Jesus is knowing Him. Knowing Him is loving Him. Loving Him is obeying Him. Obeying Him is serving Him…and serving Him is serving His people. 

“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, in Jesus’ story, the rich man went to the rubbish dump where trash is burned, because his neglect of the poor man at his gate revealed his indifference to God, ending in a wasted life. 

Jesus’ target audience was the Pharisees…

“The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Imagine their outrage when Jesus continued…

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Pharisees thought that they would be the ones who would be carried by the angels to paradise when they died. However, instead, even their “generosity” was part of their play acting. 

The rich man begged for a little respite for his suffering…

“So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…but Father Abraham responded…

“…‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why was the situation of the rich man and Lazarus reversed in the afterlife? Although not clearly stated, in the context of Scripture, the rich man spent his life enjoying his wealth with no thought for the poor man at his gate. Although Jesus did not specifically say so, Lazarus must have trusted God despite his poor condition. There was no other way for him be in paradise with Abraham. 

There are preachers today, proponents of the “prosperity gospel”, who enjoy the spoils of their preaching, claiming that their wealth is evidence of God’s blessing and even His reward…

…while, by contrast, Paul taught that…

“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and Jesus said that…

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There are many ways to show our love to God’s people but the most practical way is to take care of their material needs. 

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let’s get this clear. The rich man did not go to the fire because he was rich. He went there because he did not love God by using his wealth to serve the poor man. 

Now, the sequel to the story is this…that the rich man only woke up to the plight of others when he was in torment. While he was on earth, he had pampered only himself. Then, in the fire, he pleaded, “Send Lazarus to warn my brothers.” He found out the hard way that there was a price to pay for his selfishness. 

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Moses and the prophets” were there all the time! His brothers only had to read to find out what God required of them. Not even the miraculous return of someone from the dead would make a difference to those who ignore Jesus and reject His word. 

Was Jesus alluding to His own resurrection which was on the horizon, that would judge the Pharisees because they chose to reject Him and His word? They tried to cover up the truth by spreading lies about Him but it didn’t work. By His resurrection from the dead, Jesus forever sealed the fate of those who refuse to take Him seriously. There was no need to send Lazarus to the rich man’s brothers. Jesus Himself would rise as the witness to His own truth. 

This story was intended to expose the heart. The Apostle Paul digs deep to uncover the core of the issue, not the doing but the motive. 

“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That’s where it really hurts!

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…LITTLE IS MUCH – 42

Bible Study, ,

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Life lessons were Jesus’ specialty!

He had the knack of turning seeming irrelevancies into big life lessons. Who would have thought that our destiny would also be determined by the way we do look after the “little things”? 

I say “also” because our eternal destination depends on two inseparable sides of the coin…

The first side is…

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That’s clear, isn’t it?

John made it even clearer…

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

However, having the life of Jesus inside of us does something radical to us…His life transforms the way we think and the way we behave. This change is the evidence that we have His life in us…

Jesus used the illustration of the vine and the branches, the other side of the coin…

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, just as grapes are the fruit of the vine, fruit that identifies the nature of the vine…

So…the fruit that a child of God bears, identifies the nature of the one who is in us, Jesus, by His Spirit…

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, let’s go back to Jesus’ words, “If you are unfaithful in the little earthly things (like money…), who will trust you with heavenly things?”

What is Jesus saying? The way we use our money is the test!  The test of what? The test of whom we serve!

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did you get that? Jesus didn’t say that the test is how we carry out our spiritual duties, or how we treat our family or friends, or our enemies, even how much we love Him. He said the real test is what we do with our money! That’s the test of whom we really love, whom we really serve because…the use of our money is influenced either by our love for God or by a spiritual entity called Mammon! If Mammon controls us, our focus will be on self and self-interest, not serving others. 

Let’s look at it like this…people who fail to pay their debts or  honour their obligations, people who hoard wealth or spend their lives running after more, even people who are careless with what belongs to others, are in the grip of Mammon. What is their fruit? They hold their money of greater value than using it to fulfil ligations and duties. 

What do God’s people do with their money when they have more than enough? Do they hoard it or do they use it to serve others? Do they enjoy more luxuries or do they step in to help another in need? These are the tests that reveal our true allegiance. 

God’s way is simple. He wants real equality…not the equality of everyone being the same but the equality of everyone having enough…and He achieves it through us. 

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ NIV

So, if we can be trusted with the little we have, using it wisely to keep the current of currency  flowing, God will be able to entrust us with the “true riches” of kingdom affairs, whatever that may be in His realm. 

Money has a powerful grip on us. What we have in our wallet or in the bank seems to spell security…and yet, it actually acts as a chain. If we can release our hold  on money, it will release its hold on us. “Then,” Jesus sad, “you are free to serve me when you release to me the control and use of your resources. “

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…LOST THINGS – 41b

Bible Study, ,

“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….“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.’ ”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭11‬-‭13‬, ‭25‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus continued…to the real point of His stories. 

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ hearers were quite comfortable with His stories until He changed gear. There was the ever-present undercurrent in the crowd. The critics were mingling…to watch, to accuse, and to gather evidence…not to listen, to learn, and to grow in knowledge and understanding. 

So, they murmured, and Jesus heard. 

Jesus never lost an opportunity to speak truth to power. Truth was His weapon of choice. Armed with truth, He came from heaven to confront the lies that were destroying His people…the delusions upon which they built their lives that led them off the path to lostness in a wilderness of chaos and confusion…and delusion. 

The Pharisees didn’t like truth. It rattled their cages. It messed with their comfortable convictions. It muddied their manicured theology…

…but Jesus loved truth. It hit the bull’s-eye every time. Truth was unchanging and infallible. He relied on truth to win every skirmish with His enemies and, eventually, to win the war. 

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus died in truth and for truth…He put every one of the plethora of lies and false claims of His arch enemy to death by revealing that He was the truth, the one and only Lord of the universe. Satan’s challenge failed. He could not eliminate Him. Jesus walked out of the tomb as an ever-living witness to the power of truth. Kill Him as they did, He is still and always will be Lord. 

What was the truth His story about a lost son was about to uncover? Jesus’ story ended with an unspoken question, the one He asked of Jonah. “Why are you angry because I am merciful?” and has no answer. 

The Pharisees’ whispered challenge was, “If you are really God, how can you associate with “sinners”? Don’t you know who they are?”

Jesus’ response was, “I’ll show you who the real sinners are…not the ones who know they are lost but the hypocrites who think that God is okay with them and they with Him!”

Hence the buildup of three stories. The first two unveiled heaven’s joy when lost things are found. The third story had the punchline…

“You hypocrites! You think that keeping the rules makes you okay. You are more “lost” than the rebel who forsook his home.”

Jesus’ story sets the record straight about God’s heart for lost people. They are lost because they left God’s path and tried another way. They thought that their independence was freedom. They found out that the wilderness was an uncomfortable and dangerous place, empty, barren, and nothing but a monotonous wasteland. Worse still, there were no signposts to show them the way home. They were lost in their lostness. 

For the rebel in the story, the party was over…money and fair weather friends were gone. There was no help from them. The lost son had only one way…go back home. He had to make a choice…starve and live with pigs, or eat humble pie and retrace his steps. 

The father watched and waited. He didn’t send his servants to capture or compel his son to return. He knew that, someday, his son would hit rock bottom. That’s real life. When resources are wasted, they don’t last. When the money is finished, friends vanish. Home, that once seemed a place of slavery and restriction, finally became a place of refuge, of provision, and freedom…not from boundaries but for safety. 

What mattered most to the father? The lost one was his son…his own flesh and blood. He didn’t give up on him. He didn’t write him off because of his behaviour. He waited to restore him when he returned. Such, said Jesus, is the heart of God. 

How unlike the elder brother! His heart was bitter, full of contempt…the self-appointed judge of his little brother’s behaviour. He compared himself with his brother and came out shining…so he thought. He forgot one thing…he and his brother were both sons of the father, no matter what they did…equally loved and equally valued. 

The Pharisees refused to acknowledge God’s love and mercy that embraces all people because they are His. God has no intention to squash, like annoying bugs, those who fail.  His call is the same for everyone…those who fail and those who judge those who fail…”Come home!” Both are guilty and both need mercy. 

The Pharisees didn’t get it. They killed Jesus for that!

To be continued…