Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

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I. The Younger Son Since we’re going to address a text we haven’t heard since last Sunday, it may be a good idea if you were to open your Bibles and turn to Luke 15, page 874. This morning, we want to revisit this parable of the “welcoming father.” Last week, we looked exclusively at the father’s response to his younger son who had demanded his inheritance, left his father’s house, squandered everything and then returned. Today, we want to look at the father’s response to the older son whose situation is, in some ways, much different than his younger brother and yet in some ways, much the same.

Lets begin by refreshing our memory of the younger son’s plan as he prepares to make his return to his father’s house. We read beginning at verse 17-19. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”

Now, I know that a lot of folks like to make a big deal about those words, “when he came to himself” as though this was the act of truly contrite heart and the indication of true repentance. I suppose that if your hope and confidence depend upon a conversion experience or a personal decision that you have made to turn your life around and come to God – this younger son sure seems like a good example for all of us to follow. (more…)

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If you’re going to play the game, you’ve got to know the rules. Every game’s got rules, some of them are written and some aren’t. It’s the unwritten rules that make playing the game interesting and a little tricky at the same time. When I was a marketing rep. with Armstrong World Industries, one of the unwritten rules was that everyone wore suits, not sport coats. It was all about maintaining a certain “image.” When I was with Armstrong, Apple Computer was just emerging onto the corporate scene and their image was jeans and t-shirts. It was hard for us ‘suit and tie’ types to have much respect for those ‘jeans and t’ types.

Even the Church has it’s “image” and if you’re going to fit the image you’ve got to know the rules of the game – both written and unwritten. The Pharisees were extremely concerned with maintaining the right image. They complained that Jesus was breaking the rules. He played by all the written rules, that’s for sure. But it was the unwritten rules that He refused to honor. And it’s always the unwritten rules that have to do with ‘image.’ If you can believe this, they were upset that Jesus was threatening the Church’s image. He not only associated with sinners, He ate with them. (more…)

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Abuse is a terrible thing. Abuse is wrong use. Drug abuse is the wrong use of drugs. Sexual abuse is the wrong use of sex. Verbal abuse is the wrong use of words. Physical abuse, emotional abuse is wrong use of someone’s body or emotions. None of these things are bad in and of themselves. Drugs, sex, words, bodies, emotions – all good things, gifts from God, to be used and treated in certain ways, according to their God-given purpose. When they’re not, its abuse.

I’m sure that we would all agree that abuse is intolerable. It cannot be tolerated. I’m sure that we would all agree that the abuser must stop abusing and must begin to use rightly – in the way and for the purpose for which God intended. I suspect that abuse is something that we all would agree that we feel quite strongly about. (more…)

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I. Angry Voice / Stern Face “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to it. How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not. Behold, your house is forsaken.”

How shall we understand these words that we hear from the mouth of our Savior? What is the tone of voice with which they are spoken? What is the look on His face as He says this? (more…)