Sin and Shame Taken Away, Luke 15:11-32

When the younger son returns from his shameful life and the older son refuses to come to the party for his brother, the father chooses not to reject his sons, but instead bears their shameful actions upon himself so that they can be reconciled to him. The father in this parable is a picture of what Jesus does for us through the cross in his bearing of our sin to restore us to God the Father.

Image: Pompeo Batoni, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pompeo_Batoni_003.jpg

God's Duty, Our Hope, Luke 15:1-10

Image: Marble statue of The Good Shepherd carrying a lamb, c. 300-350, from the Catacombs of Domitilla, Vatican Museums, Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marble_statue_of_The_Good_Shepherd_carrying_a_lamb,_c._300-350,_from_the_Catacombs_of_Domitilla,_Vatican_Museums_(31302117574).jpg

Re-understanding the Prodigal, Luke 15:11-32

So often when we hear the parable of the Prodigal Son, we think that it is all about the two sons. However, in the broader context of Luke 15, Jesus is driving home why we should celebrate when repentant sinners come home and it isn’t because they come home! The celebration is for the one who receives them, our gracious Father in heaven who has made a way for us to come to him!

Image: The Return of the Prodigal Son, from The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, license: CCO 1.0 Dedication. Location: https://nypl.getarchive.net/media/the-return-of-the-prodigal-son-213284

www.gracegastonia.com/sermon-blog/2022/3/27/re-understanding-the-prodigal-luke-1511-32

Seeking the Lost, Luke 15.1-10

Father Jeremiah looks at Jesus’ parable of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin and connects them to the other readings of Scripture for today found in Exodus 32.1, 7-14 and 1 Timothy 1.12-17. All of these passages deal with Jesus’ pursuit of his people despite their desire to get lost in the wilderness of sin. He continually goes after us and brings us back to himself.

image: From Stories of Old or Bible Narratives… by Hadley, Caroline. [from old catalog] [No restrictions]. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stories_of_old_or_Bible_narratives_(1863)_(14579310939).jpg