At the beginning of Luke 15, it says that religious leaders were grumbling and saying that Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them.” It is in that context that Jesus tells the well-loved parable of the prodigal son (and the uptight brother).
When you hear the story of the father’s welcome of these children, what sticks with you? Do you associate with one or the other of these characters? Are there some people that you find it hard to welcome, and even harder to eat with?
I do. Maybe that is part of why this story is so powerful. God is more welcoming than I am, and she continues to throw feasts of grace because she is so overjoyed to welcome people who turn (no matter the motivation).
When I find it hard to know how to be the change that I seek in our world — with climate needs and racial injustice and housing struggles — I remember God’s love for us, and how she seeks to keep welcoming us at tables together.
Friends, these verses in Luke’s gospel are like a mini-gospel of joy. May they dwell deep in your hearts and sustain you for the challenges you meet this week.
Three Holy Days
In our tradition, we make space on Maundy Thursday to remember central parts of our faith story. We hear about the...
