Luke 15

“The Prodigal Son Embraced”

“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (v.20)

Jesus’ parable about a young man who asked for and squandered his inheritance and then in humiliation returned home leaves us amazed at his father’s response: “When he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

Instead of a lecture or punishment, the father expressed love and forgiveness by giving him a party. Why? Because “this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (v.24). Likewise, our heavenly Father forgives us and heaven rejoices when one sinner repents (v.7,10).

May God enable us to open our arms to others, just as His are open wide to all who turn to Him.

The Truth

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. (Psalm 86:5)

Luke 14

 "Take a Back Seat"

"Every person that makes himself important will be made humble. But the person that makes himself humble will be made important." (v.11)

I can remember always wanting to ride "shotgun" when anyone was driving me around because it was a better place to sit. In our passage today, Jesus noticed that some of the guests, invited to dinner, were choosing the best places to sit. So He told this story. 

"When a person invites you to a wedding, don't sit in the most important seat. The person may have invited someone more important than you. And if you are sitting in the most important seat, then the person that invited you will come to you and say, 'Give this man your seat!' Then you will begin to move down to the last place. And you will be very embarrassed. Therefore, when a person invites you, go sit in the seat that is not important. Then the person that invited you will come to you and say, 'Friend, move up here to this better place!' What an honor this will be for you in front of all the other guests! 

Jesus wants us to give up on our self-promoting ways. He calls us to be humble and then let God do the exalting. We shouldn't be surprised when the apostle Paul held Jesus up as the perfect example of humility—didn't cling to position, emptied himself of self-promotion, was obedient to God and God exalted him at the proper time (Phil. 2:5-11). Pride is destructive, selfish, and poisonous to Christian service and maturity. 

Let's humble ourselves before God and trust that He will lift us up.

The Truth

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (James 4:10)

Luke 13

“To What is the Kingdom of God Like?

“It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.” (v.19)

This simile,"As small as a grain of mustard seed" was well known in the Jewish world and a proverb among the people in those days. It was a common sight to see a mustard plant (raised from one of these minute grains) grow to the height of a fruit tree, putting forth branches on which birds build their nests.

It was with sorrowful irony that Jesus compared the kingdom of God in those days to this small grain. But, at that time, it was composed of Jesus and his few wavering followers. It seemed impossible that this little movement could ever stir the world, or could ever become a society of mighty dimensions.

However, it grew outwardly into a great tree in which we now see; the spread of the Gospel world wide and the growth of grace in the hearts of millions of believers everywhere. Yet the fulness of the gentiles has yet to come to harvest. Therefore, the tree continues to grow.

Jesus and His twelve disciples, over two thousand years ago,  planted the seed of the kingdom of God and despite great opposition to its truth down throughout the ages,  the seed continues to grow today.

The Truth

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

Luke 12

“Parable of the Rich Fool”

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (v.16-21)

It seems to me rather contradictory that Jesus, who was so gentle at times (Matt. 19:13-15), would call some people fools. Yet, as recorded in the Gospels a number of times, our Lord used this derogatory term to describe those He spoke about—especially the Pharisees (see Matt. 23:17-19; Luke 11:39-40).


Jesus also used the word fool concerning the man in the parable before us. What made him foolish is not the fact that he built bigger barns to store his abundant harvest (vv.16-18). It would have been more foolish of him to leave it out in the fields where inclement weather would spoil it. Nor was he foolish because of his thought that this unexpected windfall was enough to last him a long time (v.19). After all, we are urged to follow the example of the ant in “storing up” the harvest (Prov. 6:6-8).

What made the man foolish? He left God out of the picture. He was called a fool because he failed to realize that his life was in God’s hands. While he was planning carefully for his comfortable life on earth, he failed to plan for eternity and store up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:20). 

Jesus challenges us all with these words: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). To be rich in God is far better than to be rich in goods.

The Truth

“He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.” (Proverbs 11:28)

Luke 11

“Ask, Seek, Knock”

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (v.9-10)

Have you ever noticed how some people have a hard time waiting their turn? This can be seen in different actions every day. For example, the tapper, the shifter, the poser, and of course the questioner, "Can't you go any faster." In the instant breakfast society we live in today, everyone wants an express lane. We want - what we want - when we want it. This can easily transfer into our prayer life as well.

God is not some "genie in a bottle" ready to grant us three wishes when we call on Him. Nor is He only to be called upon in time of need. What kind of relationship would you have with someone, if you only called when you needed something? The Bible tells us in James, "the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16) Let's look at these words a little closer.

Webster defines effective as fruitful or capable or producing a desired result. This means we must have an established prayer life, marked by fruit. The word fervent can be translated intense, passionate, very hot - glowing. Consequently, our prayer life should have emotion in it and not just some mundane, half-hearted request. Finally, it is the prayer of the righteous that reaches God. We as Christians have righteousness imputed to us through our belief in Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection. Therefore we can, make our request known to God.

It is so important to establish a fervent prayer life with our heavenly father who, "desires to give us above all that we could ask or think."(Eph.3:20) Therefore, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking and you will see the fruit of your petitions.

The Truth

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:17-18)

Luke 10

“The Good Samaritan”

“But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” (v.33-34)

The story of “The Good Samaritan” always blesses me whenever I read it. A Samaritan, an avowed enemy of the Jew, felt compelled to care for his fellow man and see to his provision, until healed. We’ve all probably been on both sides of this story at one time or another, the one needing help and the one providing it. In both situations we end up feeling blessed because of the love expressed.

However, have you ever been the passer by? The one who kept going and did not stop to help? This passage also convicts me because I have passed by those in need; sometimes because I’m in a hurry, “Someone else will help them”, or I see them on a cell phone so, “Help is coming”, Or “I’m not going to give that person any money, he’ll just spend it on booze.” 

While we can’t help everyone in every situation of need, I believe we can to be a good neighbor to those God puts directly into our path. It may come in the form of a hug or a shoulder, a ride or a car, a room or a home. You cannot touch your neighbor’s heart with anything less than your own. Therefore, as Jesus said to the young lawyer at the end of this story, “Go and do likewise.” Be that good Samaritan.

The Truth

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)