Why Does God Love The Sinner So Much?
A reading for Wednesday, January 13, 2016: Luke 15:1-32 .
How we hear a story like today's lesson is entirely dependent on where we place ourselves in the story. Perhaps it's not even good news to everyone.
If we are the righteous, those that are living faith seriously and with purpose, then just maybe we are in the position of the Pharisees and the scribes or even the older son? We wonder why God loves the sinner so much. They don't obey God. They are careless and lazy. Those people are even dangerous to the rest of us... Why does God love the sinner so much?
If we are the sinner, though, the one that is lost while the other ninety-nine are safe, well then we are amazed that God would come after us. It's the same question we ask. We would still wonder why God loves the sinner so much. But our perspective makes us grateful for such a question and not critical or judgmental. Why does God love me, the sinner, so much?
Perhaps a story like this encourages us to take the place of the other for nothing less than perspective. Imagine that we are the sinner rather than the righteous, because the truth is... we are. And when we accurately place ourselves in the story, then and only then can we can ask the question and find good news. Why does God love me, the sinner, so much?
How we hear a story like today's lesson is entirely dependent on where we place ourselves in the story. Perhaps it's not even good news to everyone.
If we are the righteous, those that are living faith seriously and with purpose, then just maybe we are in the position of the Pharisees and the scribes or even the older son? We wonder why God loves the sinner so much. They don't obey God. They are careless and lazy. Those people are even dangerous to the rest of us... Why does God love the sinner so much?
If we are the sinner, though, the one that is lost while the other ninety-nine are safe, well then we are amazed that God would come after us. It's the same question we ask. We would still wonder why God loves the sinner so much. But our perspective makes us grateful for such a question and not critical or judgmental. Why does God love me, the sinner, so much?
Perhaps a story like this encourages us to take the place of the other for nothing less than perspective. Imagine that we are the sinner rather than the righteous, because the truth is... we are. And when we accurately place ourselves in the story, then and only then can we can ask the question and find good news. Why does God love me, the sinner, so much?
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