Were you like me? I never really caught the story of the elder brother. I would always just have that quick thought that I understand his frustration, but ultimately was glad the this story emphasized God's mercy and that I was glad that I received it!
In the silhouette to the right we all seem very much the same. But oh how deceiving, we could most likely be classified into one of two groups...the tax collectors and sinners or the pharisees and the teachers of the law. After reading chapter one, which group do you see yourself?
To conclude for today..from page 10..."No, the original listeners were not melted into tears by this story but rather they were thunderstruck, offended, and infuriated. Jesus's purpose is not to warm our hearts but to shatter our categories. Through this parable Jesus challenges what nearly everyone has ever thought about God, sin, and salvation. His story reveals the destructive self-centeredness of the younger brother, but it also condemsn the elder brother's moralistic life in the strongest terms. Jesus is saying that both the irreligious and the religious are spiritually lost, both life-paths are dead ends, and that every thought the human race has had about how to connect to God has been wrong."
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment