Fri.’s Devo - The Lost

Read: Luke 15 The Pharisees couldn’t stand not being treated more elite than the sinners. Jesus lumped them all into the same basket and treated them all the same. They were discussing this when Jesus perceived their thoughts and gave them three parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. They all mean the same. One dealt with their job, the next - their finances and the last - their family. These were all high priorities for them. In the first two senerios the person who had lost something went out and looked until he found it. The last story of the prodigal son, the father let the son come home on his own, and waited expectantly for him till he did. The parable of the sheep had to do with the Pharisees. They thought of themselves as being the sheep that are in the fold. The parable of the coins had to do with the sinners (vs. 10). But the last one had to do with both sets of people. They would consider the prodigal son to be like the sinners who spurned the law of their fathers and chose to live in sin. The son who stayed at home and followed the law would be the Pharisees who stayed true to the law in deed but their hearts were not changed. The son who remained faithful had a pious heart and thought his obedience should give him favor with his father and had no compassion over his destitute brother just like the Pharisee had no compassion for the sinner. But the father was like God and he had compassion for both his sons and wanted them both to rejoice to be with him. That was Jesus’ heart. He loved the Pharisee and the sinner and would do what it took to draw them both back into the father’s house. Lord, help us not to be like the Pharisee that sees his own piousness as something that is good. Help us to love everyone that God has made and desire all to come into the kingdom of God.