Almighty God, every good thing comes
from You. Fil our hearts with love for you, increase our faith, and by Your
constant care protect the good you have given us. We ask this through our LORD
Jesus, Your Son, who lives, and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever.[2]
Inside of me -
Where exactly, I do not know
-
Live three
voices.
The
first voice roars:
You need to attend this meeting.
Policies and procedures need to be revised.
There are deadlines to meet and
Reports that need to be
completed.
Budget variances should be corrected.
Goals for the new fiscal year are due.
Job descriptions should be re-written.
Performance evaluations need to take place.
All is of ultimate importance so
Don’t forget anything.
Your worth as a person depends on this.
Don't make any mistakes.
Produce more. Do more. Achieve more.
The
middle voice sneers and mocks:
You know you will be found out -
Then what?
You cannot do this work.
You are a sham, an impostor.
Shame on you;
You always make mistakes.
What do you think you are?
There is mercy.
All
shall be well.[3]
Today marks the 21th anniversary of the
loss of the twin towers in New York City. We face the twin dangers of going
astray by toying with sin or by wicked pride. We need to live in daily
repentance over both. Learn from Jesus. The friend of sinners. Join the angels
praising God. Both, for your own salvation. And, for the progress of the Gospel
in the world.
The factors of forgiveness are simple. There is simply
our need. We stand in need of forgiveness. There is, of course, means, which
lead toward forgiveness. There must also be a response.
The response to forgiveness; is repentance. Mark the Scripture well. “There will be more joy in heaven over one
sinner who repents then over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to
repent…I tell you, the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who repents.”
Jesus seeks the lost.
The lost are sought in the parable. A poor woman loses
a coin. It’s something precious to her. The loss of a single coin is serious.
It’s all she has. Without it, she has nothing!
A sheep goes missing. In that condition, it becomes
the prey of wild animals. Yet 99 are safe. Isn’t that one solitary sheep
expendable? Why the anxiety? After all, isn’t this fuss and bother rather
superfluous? Is it all necessary? Why not simply cut your losses?
That is the point of the parable! All are necessary!
All are important!
Let no one think you are beyond the reach of Jesus’
love. Let no one think you are unnecessary, helpless, or hopeless. How good it
is that Jesus has found you!
The Pharisees, they too were lost. But they couldn’t
accept it. Their sin was pride. Evidenced in their smugness and disdain for
sinners and for Jesus.
“Two men went up
to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The
Pharisee stood and prayed this prayer, “O God, I thank You that I’m not like
everyone else.
I’m not greedy, dishonest, or living in
sexual sin, like this tax collector. I always fast twice a week. I always give
You a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector stood some distance away,
and wouldn’t even look into heaven. He pounded his chest and said, God have
mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this tax collector went home justified
but the Pharisee was not.”[4]
~ Luke 18:10-13
These Pharisees and all the self-righteous find
themselves in the same lost condition because of boastful, selfish, pride and
arrogance. Be warned, pride goes before
a fall.
But when the Pharisees saw Jesus surrounded by tax
collectors and well-known sinners, they grumbled and complained. “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
With respect to the Pharisees, it was too late for those people, who had messed
up so badly.
These Pharisees. They didn’t even want such people.
They were damages goods.
They did not, could not, could not – tolerate- let
alone – believe – in a God who would allow such sinners into His house.
So Jesus told the parable of the lose sheep followed
by the parable of the lost coin. Jesus came, looking for them; Jesus came to
find just these very people – sinful people, rebellious people, lost people.
Jesus came to pay for their sins, suffer for their sin, die for their sin, because
He wanted them back – back in His kingdom. Back in His house.
He called them to repent of their sin and to trust in Him – that He would forgive them for everything, and bring them back into the LORD’s house, for free.
Jesus continues to seek the ones missing from the
Father’s table. He could have left us to wallow in our filth. He could have
left this world of sinners to their doom. He could have left us to flounder
after we had stumbled, fumbled, flopped and fell. He could have said, “Depart from me, cursed ones, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” - Matthew 25:41
Instead, He determined to redeem and save us. He
demonstrated the Father’s mercy and love when He came into this world to
fulfill God’s law for us and to pay the world’s debt of sin. “For the Son of Man came not to be served but
to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” –Matthew 20:28;
“But when the
fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under
the law, to redeem those who are under the law, so that we might receive
adoption as sons.” -Galatians 4:4-5
“The saying is
trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners.”(1 Timothy 1:15) As He had mercy on Paul in order to
“display his perfect patience.” (1
Timothy 1:16), so also does He seek out His sheep “from all the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds
and thick darkness.” (Ezekiel 34:12) To deliver His flock. He “will seek the lost…bring back the
strayed…bind up the injured, and strengthen the weak.” (Ezekiel 34:16), and
“they shall no longer be a prey.”
(Ezekiel 34:22)
So, what’s your attitude concerning those who return
to the fold? Is it similar to the Pharisees and the scribes who grumbled,
saying, ‘this man receives sinners and
eats with them” They are self-condemning.
Or, shall it be compared to this woman – she throws a
party with the money from the coin she just found. A coin, it’s worth and value
is that of a single sheep.
Reckless? You might conclude. But that’s point the
Savior makes who is reckless in grace and mercy. Who rejoices over one lost
sheep.
Who throws a part for a coin recovered – because it
was irreplaceable.
Such is your value and worth in the Father’s economy –
precious, priceless, and pure are you – treasured and valued – welcome back to
the fold – right where you belong!
Words –1,290
Passive Sentences – 0
Readability- 81.2%
Reading Level – 4.0
[2] For All the Saints A Prayer Book for and By the Church Vol. 2 Year 1: The Season After Pentecost © 195 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
[3] Three Voices by Logan C Jones
[4] A New Accurate Translation of the Greek New Testament into simple Everyday American English © Julian Anderson Naples, FL
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