Sunday, September 13, 2020

Lesson on Luke, chapters 14 and 15, given during main service at Lake Marburg Baptist Church

 


Luke 14:1 ¶  And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. 2  And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 3  And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 4  And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; 5  And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? 6  And they could not answer him again to these things.

 

Dropsy is the old name for any excessive swelling caused by an accumulation of water. We would be more specific today, for instance, saying the person had edema due to congestive heart failure. Dropsy expresses itself mostly in swelling of the lower legs and feet after having been on them all day. Here, Jesus taught the importance of mercy and compassion over a rigid following of religious obligation. In a similar vein, James wrote;

 

James 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

 

Jesus used this analogy before in 13:15 saying that if you would help your animal on the Sabbath why would it be wrong to help a person. His reference to assisting a beast goes back to Old Testament expressions of mercy and compassion toward animals belonging to oneself or others.

 

Exodus 23:5  If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

 

Proverbs 12:10  A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

 

The Pharisee would show compassion for his beast, why not a fellow Jew? There really was nothing they could say against that.

 

A certain man or a certain woman are two phrases in the Bible that speak a profound truth. God has used countless anonymous people throughout history to further His plan of the redemption of mankind, the great reconciliation. Their names are not recorded but they provided an important step in the journey. Most of us are like that. I have accomplished nothing important in life. I will be quickly forgotten. In a short time after I die, it will be as if I never existed. But I want to imagine it being said in eternity, “Once, there was a certain man who wrote a blog about the Bible that encouraged others to read it even if they disagreed with him and just wanted to prove he was wrong.”

 

Luke 14:7 ¶  And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, 8  When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9  And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10  But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11  For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 12  Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. 13  But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14  And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

 

A similar sentiment to verses 7 through 11 is expressed in Proverbs.

 

Proverbs 25:6 ¶  Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: 7  For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

 

Humility, rather than seeking preeminence, is appreciated by God. Peter wrote;

 

1Peter 5:5 ¶  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

 

James expressed a similar sentiment when talking about exalting a social class as so many working-class conservatives in America do in their worship of the very wealthy.

 

James 2:1 ¶  My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2  For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3  And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4  Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5  Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6  But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7  Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

 

A very important principle is expressed in verse 14. In the ancient Greek and Roman world charity was a political act. You gave to someone who could do you some good. You sponsored something, gave to a temple, had something built in your name, or distributed bread to the poor, but whatever you did you expected a return on your investment; some preference, some prayer, some acknowledgment of your importance, or support politically.

 

In fact, in Graeco-Roman culture the poor were never singled out as the object of charity. Philanthropy had to do with your own family or to help someone who deserved to be helped. Almsgiving and Greek or Roman moralists never preached that people with money should help people without unless, as I said, there was some benefit involved or some great value in the recipient. An important thing that Jesus will teach later is that your neighbor includes any stranger, even of a different ethnic group or religion than yourself, that you come across in desperate need.

 

The highest level of Christian giving is to give to someone who cannot possibly benefit you and may not even know you were their benefactor. You will expect acknowledgment in heaven, not here on earth.

 

Matthew 6:1 ¶  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

 

In addition, verses 12 and 13 set up a prophetic passage on a specific feast in the next verses.

 

Luke 14:15 ¶  And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 16  Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18  And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19  And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21  So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22  And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24  For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

 

Here, Christ again admonishes the people whom God created out of the Gentiles in Ur of the Chaldees of old. They’ve made many excuses and those who have will have their invitation to have a meal at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb rescinded.

 

Revelation 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

 

Matthew gives a more complete rendition of this lesson when Jesus is teaching in the temple indicting the nation of Israel for their historical disobedience and violence against God’s prophets. Matthew introduces a figure who some say is the Antichrist, the Beast of Revelation himself, although this may simply be a representation of the tares, the phonies, in the church. The Gentiles again will play a part in spreading the gospel of the kingdom as the nation of Israel refuses to stop making excuses and follow their Messiah.

 

Matthew 22:1 ¶  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

 

Luke 14:25 ¶  And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35  It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 

A word should be said about the word hate here. In a different context, when Jesus commissioned the twelve apostles as reported in Matthew 10 it is recorded;

 

Matthew 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

 

By comparing passages that express the same or similar sentiment we can determine the meaning of passages that are difficult for us. Clearly, to hate, in this context, is to hold one in lower regard than one would reasonably expect rather than to hold in contempt, to despise, to abhor, and reject as in other contexts. You cannot properly interpret the Bible without cross-referencing. Any version that destroys the cross-referencing traits of the Bible should be dismissed outright. If we believe that the Bible was given by inspiration as it says it was, that the Holy Spirit had a hand in translations and copies, then we must understand that the ultimate author was God Himself and in order to understand a word or phrase we need to look within the text itself.

 

Verse 27 has led to a lot of guilt feelings on the part of Christians who do not live in countries where they are persecuted horribly. It has even prompted some Christians to make themselves as obnoxious as possible to try to get a taste of what they perceive is persecution so they can feel justified. However, remember, first that Jesus is talking to the people He deals with every day in the flesh and those who would follow Him in His hour of suffering. Tradition tells us that every single Apostle, save John, died a martyr’s death and it wasn’t for lack of trying that John was not martyred.

 

The cross was a type of execution that was very painful and the process of death was often prolonged as the sufferer tried to breathe and had to experience the agony of having hands and feet nailed to the wood.

 

Many of the people that would have heard this saying about taking up one’s cross daily left following Christ when things got tough. The disciple had to be willing to give up all that he had, all earthly connections, to follow Christ as we can see by verse 26 and Matthew 10:28-30. The end result of that discipleship could be imprisonment, torture, and death as we can see by Luke 12:11; Acts 7:59; Acts 12:2.  The hope and treasures of the heart of a disciple, as a result, had to be focused on heaven, not earth as we can see in Matthew 6:19-20.

 

Even if you are not persecuted, though many are in many parts of the world today and are called to see this verse in their lives, you do have the burden of bearing your own Cross of suffering and pain in this life and bearing it in faith with a testimony before others who have not trusted Christ or are weak in their faith. We have this burden of being fenced in with bones and sinews, our souls trapped in the body of this death, every day dying and yet alive as we can see in Job 10:11 & Galatians 2:20. If we are not willing to suffer these things, although we will whether we do it in faith or not, then we should count the cost before we profess faith in our Saviour and declare ourselves redeemed of the Lord as this passage then reveals. Like salt, we can be completely useless, in our case, in the disciples of this time’s case, if we or they are unwilling to follow our Saviour to death. The disciples here are warned that this way is not going to be painless for them while they are in the flesh.

 

Suffering in this life is real and inevitable, whether you do it in faith, trusting your Creator, or do it in anger and bitterness and denial, and unbelief. For the Christian this life is the only Hell they will ever know. For the rejector of Christ the suffering you experience here is only the beginning of woes.

 

The early Christians and many now throughout the world are faced with a choice, to renounce Christ or face the loss of everything they hold dear. To confess Christ or to renounce Him. Chapter 12 had a reference to this.

 

Luke 12:8  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

 

And so Paul and John will write;

 

2Timothy 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

 

Revelation 3:7 ¶  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8  I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

 

Preachers are fond of using these verses to indict you for not handing out a tract at a certain time or going door-knocking and those may be valid ways of projecting the text onto the relatively painless, when it comes to persecution for Americans (at least the persecution that comes from humans and not the spirit world), but the context is life-and-death persecution enacted at times by the Romans and later the Roman and Protestant churches and other religions. The secular state and Islam are the greatest physical persecutors today.

 

This context, the literal meaning of verses, like this has to do with the persecution they faced.

Jesus warned His disciples to expect it.

 

Matthew 20:20 ¶  Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21  And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

 

Don’t whine when you are forbidden to hang up a verse from your office cubicle condemning homosexuality. Save your whining for when someone is standing over you with a sword and threatening to cut off your head if you don’t renounce Christ as a Christian in the Sudan might experience today. The question is, are you prepared to die guiltless of any violence for your faith and to trust Christ for your resurrection? It is a question many Christians faced throughout history. The comfortable Christian culture of America, the self-congratulating way we practically fall over patting ourselves on the back for “choosing” to be on the right team, is an echo-chamber where you eventually only hear what affirms you and justifies you. I suspect in the face of the kind of persecution a Christian in Vietnam might experience or a Christian in Iran might have to endure most of us would be running for the hills and swearing allegiance to anything but Christ to keep evil from being done to us.

 

Luke, chapter 15

 

Luke 15:1 ¶  Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2  And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3  And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 8  Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9  And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

 

Here, Jesus teaches one of the great lessons on how God will receive a sinner who is repentant. First, on a direct level He is speaking to Jews about Jews. This is not about someone who has never known of God. This is about someone straying from the fold who is welcomed to return. Jesus uses metaphors and a parable explain what He is saying.

 

The Jew could stray and walk away from God’s care and mercy. He could choose to not return and would be lost forever. But, if he did return there was to be much rejoicing in heaven. In the Old Testament God pleaded with His people to return to Him, to receive His mercy and not perish.

 

Ezekiel 18:30  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

 

God who, as His talk with Job in Job 38 and beyond said, controls events in the far reaches of space and on earth that no man has seen, who makes dust turn to clods in a farmer’s field and controls how far the ocean waves wash onto the dry land, who has drawn millions of people back to Him in the great apostasy after the Fall of Adam and Eve, reconciling them to Himself, rejoices when one seemingly insignificant one of His people repents and turns to Him and to His mercy. That is an amazing thing to consider.

 

It is not unreasonable to assume that the inhabitants of Heaven rejoice when a Christian who has strayed from their faith returns to try to live for Christ. Although I do not believe a Christian, someone truly experienced the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God and Christ, can ever be happy while engaged in open or secret sin against God and facing the consequences of it on earth in their flesh, I also do not believe a Christian can lose their salvation. Salvation is an act of God whereby you become a part of Christ’s body on earth, the church. It is not something you did yourself. It was an act of God.

 

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

 

We are now His body operating on the earth, the church.

 

Colossians 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

 

In fact, not only are we in His hands but we are a part of His hands.

 

John 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

 

Many Christian groups practice a works-religion where they try to earn their way to eternal life or at least to pay for it on installments but there is only one true work of God.

 

John 6:28 ¶  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

 

Strong-willed children and childish adults, when they have spent their last argument and have nothing more of value to say will end things with something like, “I know what you’re saying, but still…” and that is what some will do when they want to control the Christian, to dominate their behavior and time, and insist they can lose their salvation that they neither earned nor can pay for but no matter, let’s continue. Many people come to a religion or a political movement that seek not truth but the ability and right to control others even if they aren’t aware of that drive consciously. Let’s dismiss them and surrender only to Christ.

 

This passage is about the repentant Jew, a lesson taught by Christ in the first century to Jews before the Cross and the Resurrection. We can use it to apply to the backsliding Christian but it is not about people that were never God’s in the first place but were in Satan’s camp.

 

Ephesians 2:1 ¶  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

 

So, this isn’t a very good lesson for soul-winning today but is a very good lesson for trying to get a Christian to return from a bad life to the protection and mercy of God in this mortal existence.

 

Luke 15:11 ¶  And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25  Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26  And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27  And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28  And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29  And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30  But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31  And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

 

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 

Proverbs 29:3 ¶  Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

 

The assurance in the verse in Proverbs is that children will often stray from the lessons and habits they learned in their childhood but will return to what they remember as being a stable and comforting part of their early life when life has dealt them the hand they so richly deserved for their apostasy. Many young adults who have strayed, when they have their own children, want a little of what they were given spiritually that they walked away from for their own. It is tragic when that does not happen because a parent was hateful, implacable, or just plain mean-spirited in the way they lived in front of their child. Sometimes there is no going back because if the person who abused them emotionally or otherwise is in heaven they certainly don’t want to be there. What they don’t understand is the choice they are making if they are not saved is a terrible one and if they would just put aside the sorrowful memory of the idiot parent or parents they would understand something God has recorded for us.

 

Psalm 27:10  When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

 

Here, in this parable, one way of viewing it is with the father as a type of Christ as God, the elder son is like Israel, and the younger son who went away is like the bulk of mankind who left the first worship of the Creator and wallowed in idolatry and self-worship for four-thousand years. God rejoices that they have chosen to cease swimming in filth and have returned to Him in repentance and humility but Israel resented the father’s embrace of the wayward, the so-called prodigal son.

 

It can also be viewed with the father as a type of God the Father embracing the repentant Jew who returns to the fold, even with those who stayed true to the Law given to Moses angry at His reception of them. There are several other ways to view it I’ve read with the far country being pagan religion and the swine being false teachers and prophets as in 2Peter 2:22. Read the entire chapter.

 

2Peter 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

 

Remember how Jesus warned against casting your pearls, new converts, before swine, false preachers and teachers who would corrupt them?

 

Matthew 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

 

The point is, though, no matter how you color it to make your point in preaching or teaching, is that this parable underscores what was said just before it, that there is great rejoicing over one returning to the faith. It can be used to be about new converts but it is most literally applicable for the backsliding Jew who has wondered away from the flock and how God and His angels rejoiced when that one returned. You apply it to our own dispensation of Christianity but be careful with the limitations of that application.  Simply put, God is ecstatic when a believer stops wallowing in the muck and the mire and realizes His need for God’s truth and mercy. No matter how far a Christian strays he or she is never not God’s own child and God will never reject them.

 

Hebrews 13:5b  for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 

I would say one more thing about this parable and applying it to our modern times. When you have a child who persists in a sin that you know will wreck their lives it is not good to go to war with them. Even if you have to not be a part of their lives for a time, always leave the spiritual door unlocked, so to speak, give them a way to return, and embrace them when they do. “You are no longer my child,” is not a Christian sentiment and woe be it to us if our Lord felt that way with our apostasy.

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