34 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
34 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
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title = "Luke 15:25–32"
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date = "2023-01-02"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk15.25-32)
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Surprise! The story of the prodigal son isn't over yet. Remember that the son
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that squandered his share of the inheritance has an older brother? Do you
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remember what got Jesus started with telling these stories in the first place?
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While the father has gotten his household to celebrate the return of his son,
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his firstborn comes in from the field and wonders what is going on. When he
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finds out it is about his younger brother, he gets mad and refuses to go in to
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celebrate. His father comes out to ask him to come in, but he accuses him of
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playing favorites, because he never got even a small feast for his friends
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despite faithfully serving his father for so long. So the father reminds him
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that he is going to inherit everything his father will have, and has enjoyed
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being with his father the entire time. Yet, that doesn't negate the suitability
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of celebrating his brother's return.
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Ever see a new believer join the church and start shaking things up because
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they are so on fire for the Lord? Notice how it makes the old sticks in the mud
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uncomfortable? That's more or less what was happening with the Pharisees and
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the older brother in the story. God was doing amazing things in people's lives,
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and the traditionalists were unhappy about it because it wasn't according to
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their way of doing things. But God isn't constrained by how we've done things
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before, or even how He has done things before. His only constraints are His own
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character, and He will have mercy on whom He has mercy.
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* * *
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Remind us that we are sinners saved by grace, and no better than anyone else.
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