GOD​​ NEVER​​ GIVES UP ON​​ ANYONE!  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Luke 15:1-10

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 3/13/22

NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLAR N.T. WRIGHT DESCRIBES​​ 

AN EXPERIENCE HE AND HIS FAMILY HAD RELOCATING

TO A NEW HOME. ​​ HE WRITES:

“WE HAD JUST MOVED HOUSE, TO A DREAM LOCATION:

QUIET, SECLUDED, AT THE END OF A ROAD NEAR A LAKE.

EVERYTHING SEEMED PEACEFUL.

THEN, ON THE FIRST SATURDAY NIGHT WE WERE THERE, ALL CHAOS

BROKE LOOSE. ​​ LOUD MUSIC, AMPLIFIED VOICES MAKING​​ 

ANNOUNCEMENTS, CHEERS, FIREWORKS – ALL GOING ON WELL INTO

THE SMALL HOURS, KEEPING OUR YOUNG CHILDREN AWAKE.

WE WERE APPALLED. ​​ WAS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN EVERY WEEKEND?

WHERE WAS THE NOISE COMING FROM? ​​ WHY HAD NOBODY TOLD US

ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE?

IN THE MORNING, THE EXPLANATIONS CAME. ​​ NO, IT WASN’T A​​ 

REGULAR​​ OCCURRENCE. ​​ IT WOULD ONLY HAPPEN ONCE A YEAR.

IT WAS THE LOCAL BOATER’S ASSOCIATION ANNUAL PARTY.

WE RETURNED TO TRANQUILITY. ​​ BUT IT LEFT ME THINKING ABOUT

HOW ONE PERSON’S CELEBRATION CAN BE REALLY ANNOYING​​ 

FOR SOMEONE ELSE,​​ ESPECIALLY IF THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND

THE REASON FOR THE PARTY.”

THE THREE PARABLES IN LUKE 15,​​ 

THAT OF THE LOST SHEEP AND THE LOST COIN,

WHICH WE WILL LOOK AT TODAY,

AND THE PARABLE OF THE TWO LOST SONS​​ 

AND THEIR LOVING FATHER, WHICH WE WILL CONSIDER

IN THE NEAR FUTURE,

ARE TOLD BECAUSE JESUS WAS MAKING A HABIT​​ 

OF CELEBRATING PARTIES WITH ALL THE “WRONG” PEOPLE.

JESUS PREFACES EACH OF TODAY’S TWO SHORT PARABLES

WITH A SIMILAR QUESTION:

WHICH ONE OF YOU, HAVING A HUNDRED SHEEP

AND LOSING ONE OF THEM, DOES NOT LEAVE THE NINETY-NINE

IN THE WILDERNESS AND GO AFTER THE ONE THAT IS LOST

UNTIL HE FINDS IT? ​​ (Luke 15:4)

OR WHAT WOMAN, HAVING TEN SILVER COINS,

IF SHE LOSES ONE OF THEM, DOES NOT LIGHT A LAMP,

SWEEP THE HOUSE, AND SEARCH CAREFULLY UNTIL SHE FINDS IT?

(Luke 15:8)

IN EACH OF THE THREE PARABLES IN LUKE 15

JESUS REVEALS TO US THE​​ HEART​​ OF​​ GOD,

AND GOD’S HEART IS REVEALED TO US AS​​ UNCONDITIONAL​​ LOVE.

THE FACT THAT JESUS​​ REPEATS​​ ESSENTIALLY THE​​ SAME​​ MESSAGE

THREE​​ TIMES UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS MESSAGE

TO HIM PERSONALLY.

A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF HOW GOD FEELS ABOUT ONE

WHO IS MISSING IS GIVEN TO US BY BOB BENSON

IN HIS BOOK​​ COME SHARE THE BEING: ​​ HE WRITES:

“NEARLY A YEAR AGO PEG AND I HAD A VERY HARD WEEK.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT – MIKE SLEPT DOWNSTAIRS IN HIS ROOM –

WHERE CHILDREN BELONG – AND WE SLEPT UPSTAIRS IN OURS –

WHERE MOMS AND DADS BELONG.

THURSDAY NIGHT – WE WERE 350 MILES AWAY AND HE WAS IN

RAMADA 325 AND WE WERE IN 323 – CONNECTING ROOMS,

AND WE LEFT THE DOOR OPEN AND TALKED AND LAUGHED TOGETHER.

FRIDAY NIGHT – 700 MILES FROM HOME AND HE WAS IN 247

AND WE WERE IN 239, BUT IT WAS JUST DOWN THE HALL​​ 

AND SOMEHOW WE SEEMED TOGETHER.

SATURDAY NIGHT – HE WAS IN THE FRESHMAN DORM​​ 

AND WE WERE BACK IN 239.

MONDAY NIGHT – WE WERE HOME AND HE WAS 700 MILES AWAY

IN CHAPMAN 309.

NOW WE HAD BEEN THROUGH THIS​​ BEFORE.

BOB, JR., HAD GONE AWAY TO COLLEGE AND WE HAD GATHERED

OURSELVES TOGETHER UNTIL WE HAD GOTTEN OVER IT –

MAINLY BECAUSE HE’S MARRIED NOW AND LIVES ONLY TEN MILES​​ 

AWAY AND COMES TO VISIT OFTEN WITH DEB AND ROBERT III.

SO WE​​ THOUGHT​​ WE KNEW HOW TO HANDLE​​ SEPARATION

PRETTY WELL, BUT WE CAME AWAY​​ LONELY​​ AND​​ BLUE.

OH, OUR HEARTS WERE FILLED WITH PRIDE​​ 

FOR OUR FINE YOUNG MAN,

AND OUR MINDS WERE FILLED WITH MEMORIES​​ 

FROM TRICYCLES TO COMMENCEMENTS,

BUT DEEP DOWN INSIDE SOMEWHERE

WE JUST ACHED WITH LONELINESS AND PAIN.

SOMEBODY SAYS YOU STILL HAVE THREE AT HOME –

THREE FINE KIDS AND THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF NOISE,

PLENTY OF BALL GAMES TO GO TO, PLENTY OF RESPONSIBILITIES,

PLENTY OF LAUGHTER, PLENTY OF EVERYTHING. . .EXCEPT​​ MIKE.

AND IN​​ PARENTAL​​ MATH FIVE MINUS ONE​​ 

JUST​​ DOESN’T​​ EQUAL PLENTY.

AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT​​ GOD.

GOD SURE HAS PLENTY OF CHILDREN – PLENTY OF ARTISTS,

PLENTY OF SINGERS, AND CARPENTERS, AND CANDLESTICK MAKERS, AND PREACHERS, PLENTY OF EVERYBODY. . .EXCEPT​​ YOU,

AND ALL OF THEM​​ TOGETHER​​ CAN​​ NEVER​​ TAKE YOUR PLACE.

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE AN EMPTY SPOT IN GOD’S HEART –

AND A VACANT CHAIR AT GOD’S TABLE WHEN YOU’RE NOT HOME.

AND IF ONCE IN A WHILE IT SEEMS LIKE GOD IS CROWDING YOU A BIT

--TRY TO LET IT GO.

IT MAY BE ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS WHEN GOD MISSES YOU SO MUCH

GOD CAN HARDLY STAND IT.” ​​ (End Quote)

AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE THREE PARABLES IN LUKE CHAPTER 15

ARE TOLD BECAUSE JESUS WAS MAKING A HABIT​​ 

OF CELEBRATING PARTIES WITH ALL THE “WRONG” PEOPLE.

SOME OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, THE ENFORCERS OF “TRUE”

RELIGION IN THEIR DAY, COULD NOT STAND THE WAY IN WHICH JESUS

WAS SAYING THAT GOD HAD A SPECIAL PLACE IN GOD’S HEART

FOR JUST THE TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT​​ THEY​​ CONSIDERED TO BE

IRREVOCABLY​​ LOST.

A GOOD PART OF WHAT MADE THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

SO INFURIATED AT JESUS WAS THAT HE TURNED​​ 

THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S HOLINESS​​ UPSIDE​​ DOWN.

THEY​​ SAID THAT GOD’S HOLINESS CONSISTED IN ABSOLUTE​​ PURITY,

AND THAT GOD’S ABSOLUTE PURITY MADE IT​​ IMPOSSIBLE

FOR GOD TO ASSOCIATE WITH​​ SINNERS.

JESUS​​ SAID THAT GOD’S HOLINESS CONSISTED​​ 

IN GOD’S RELENTLESS COMPASSION AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE,

TRAITS WHICH LED GOD TO​​ PURSUE​​ THE LOST​​ 

UNTIL​​ THEY WERE FOUND.

FOR JESUS, IT WAS ALL A QUESTION OF GOD’S DEEPEST​​ NATURE,

AND FOR JESUS, GOD’S DEEPEST NATURE WAS THAT GOD

CONTINUED​​ TO LOVE EACH PERSON UNCONDITIONALLY NO MATTER

HOW “BAD” AND “DISTANT” FROM GOD THEY HAD BECOME.

THIS REMINDS ME OF A WELL-KNOWN BUDDHIST TALE:

A HOLY MAN WAS ENGAGED IN HIS MORNING MEDITATION

UNDER A TREE WHOSE ROOTS STRETCHED OUT OVER THE RIVERBANK.

DURING HIS MEDITATION HE NOTICED THAT THE RIVER WAS RISING,

AND THAT A SCORPION CAUGHT IN THE ROOTS

WAS ABOUT TO DROWN.

HE CRAWLED OUT ON THE ROOTS AND REACHED DOWN

TO FREE THE SCORPION, BUT EVERY TIME HE DID SO,

THE SCORPION STRUCK BACK AT HIM.

AN OBSERVER CAME ALONG AND SAID TO THE HOLY MAN,

“DON’T YOU KNOW THAT’S A SCORPION,

AND IT’S IN THE​​ NATURE​​ OF A SCORPION TO WANT TO STING?

TO WHICH THE HOLY MAN REPLIED, “THAT MAY WELL BE,

BUT IT IS​​ MY​​ NATURE TO SAVE, AND MUST I CHANGE MY NATURE

SIMPLY BECAUSE THE SCORPION DOES NOT CHANGE ITS NATURE?

FOR MANY OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES,

THE​​ PROPER​​ SEQUENCE TO BECOMING ACCEPTED BY GOD LAY IN

• ADMITTING ONE’S SINFULNESS.

• MAKING AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF REPENTANCE.

• LIVING ACCORDING TO GOD’S TEACHINGS.

IF​​ ONE WENT THROUGH THESE STEPS,​​ THEN, JUST MAYBE,

ONE HAD A​​ CHANCE​​ WITH GOD.

JESUS​​ REVERSED​​ THIS PROCEDURE BY PROCLAIMING THAT GOD

ALREADY​​ LOVES​​ EVERYBODY, NO STRINGS ATTACHED.

FOR JESUS, GOD’S LOVE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR THE TAKING,

AND ONCE TAKEN, IT WAS PRECISELY THE REALITY

OF LIVNG IN THE SAFE SPACE OF GOD’S LOVE

THAT​​ EMPOWERED​​ ONE TO “REPENT” OF ONE’S BROKEN WAYS

AND TO START LIVING A NEW LIFE.

IN THE TWO PARABLES WE’RE LOOKING AT TODAY,

THE LOST SHEEP AND THE LOST COIN, JESUS GOES ONE STEP​​ FURTHER.

WE KNOW THAT WHENEVER JESUS​​ REPEATS​​ HIMSELF,

AS HE DOES IN MATTHEW’S GOSPEL BY​​ TWICE​​ QUOTING

THE PROPHET HOSEA TO THE EFFECT THAT GOD WANTS

OUR​​ COMPASSION, NOT OUR​​ RELIGION,

HE IS SAYING, IN EFFECT, “LISTEN UP” –​​ 

THIS IS OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE.”

JESUS DOES THAT IN OUR PARTABLES FOR TODAY

BY REPEATING THE PREPOSITION “UNTIL.”

PREPOSITIONS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THEOLOGICAL WORDS

IN ANY LANGUAGE, BECAUSE THEY DESCRIBE THE​​ RELATIONSHIP​​ 

BETWEEN PERSONS AND BETWEEN THINGS.

I SUSPECT THAT IN THESE TWO PARABLES JESUS IS SLYLY REFERENCING

THE STORY IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES​​ 

OF JACOB WRESTLING WITH GOD.

JACOB HAS THE​​ AUDACITY​​ TO SAY TO GOD,

“I WILL NOT LET YOU GO​​ UNTIL​​ YOU BLESS ME.” ​​ (Genesis 32:26)

THE ‘PROPER” OR “CORRECT” WAY OF DOING RELIGIOUS THINGS,

BOTH FOR SOME OF THE​​ JEWISH​​ SCRIBES AND PHARISEES​​ 

IN​​ JESUS’ DAY, AND FOR THE​​ CHRISTIAN​​ SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

IN​​ OUR​​ DAY, WOULD BE TO INSIST THAT THE​​ INITIATIVE

LIES WITH THE PERSON WHO IS​​ LOST.

THE LOST SHEEP AND THE LOST COIN REPRESENT LOST PEOPLE.

ACCORDING TO RELIGIOUS​​ LEGALISTS, JEWISH​​ OR​​ CHRISTIAN,

IT WAS UP TO THE LOST SHEEP AND THE LOST COIN

TO REALIZE THEIR STATE OF LOSTNESS​​ 

AND TO BEG TO COME BACK HOME.

NOT SO WITH JESUS.

HE MAKES A BIG DEAL ABOUT STATING THAT THE SHEPHERD

SEARCHES FOR THE LOST SHEEP​​ UNTIL​​ IT IS FOUND.

SIMILARLY, THE WOMAN SEARCHES FOR HER LOST COIN

UNTIL​​ SHE FINDS IT.

THIS LITTLE PREPOSITION “UNTIL” IS EXPRESSED​​ 

WITHOUT​​ QUALIFICATION.

GOD DOES NOT SEARCH FOR SOMEONE FOR A​​ LIMITED​​ PERIOD

OF TIME, SAY A HUMAN​​ LIFETIME, AND THEN, AT DEATH,​​ 

CALL​​ OFF​​ THE SEARCH, BECAUSE “TIME’S UP.”

PART OF THE MEANING OF THESE TWO PARABLES

IS THAT TIME IS​​ NEVER​​ “UP” WITH GOD!

PORTRAYING​​ GOD​​ AS​​ TAKING THE INITIATIVE

AND CHASING AFTER THE LOST, AND NOT ONLY CHASING AFTER THEM,

BUT CHASING AFTER THEM​​ UNTIL​​ THEY ARE FOUND,​​ 

WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY​​ UNACCEPTABLE​​ THINKING

TO MANY OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES,

AND​​ CONTINUES​​ TO BE TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE THINKING

TO THE CHRISTIAN SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OF OUR DAY.

BUT THERE’S​​ MORE.

TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, IN OUR SECOND PARABLE,

THAT OF THE LOST COIN, JESUS HAS THE BOLDNESS

TO PICTURE GOD AS A​​ WOMAN.

JESUS GIVES THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES A PICTURE OF GOD

SO​​ SHOCKING​​ THAT THEY WOULD FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO​​ FORGET:

GOD AS A​​ WOMAN​​ TAKING THE​​ INITIATIVE​​ AND CHASING AFTER

SOMEONE WHO IS LOST​​ UNTIL​​ THAT PERSON IS FOUND.

MANY PERSONS WHO ARE ATTRACTED TO COMMUNITY CHURCH

ARE ATTRACTED BY OUR CORE VALUES.

THE​​ FIRST​​ OF OUR CORE VALUES IS THE DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE

STATEMENT THAT “GOD LOVES​​ ALL​​ PEOPLE.”

IMPLIED IN THAT STATEMENT IS A RESOUNDING AFFIRMATION

OF THE “UNTIL” THEOLOGY CONTAINED IN OUR TWO PARABLES.

A CERTAIN SPEAKER STARTED OFF HIS SEMINAR​​ 

BY HOLDING UP A $20 BILL.

“WHO WOULD LIKE THIS $20 BILL?” HE ASKED.

HANDS STARTED GOING UP THROUGHOUT THE AUDIENCE.

HE SAID, “I AM GOING TO GIVE THIS $20 BILL TO ONE OF YOU,

BUT FIRST LET ME DO THIS.”

HE PROCEEDED TO CRUMPLE UP THE BILL.

HE THEN ASKED, “WHO​​ STILL​​ WANTS IT?”

THE SAME HANDS WENT UP IN THE AIR.

“WELL,” HE REPLIED, “WHAT IF I DO THIS?”

AND STARTED TO GRIND IT INTO THE FLOOR WITH HIS SHOE.

HE PICKED IT UP, ALL CRUMBLED AND DIRTY.

“NOW WHO STILL WANTS IT?”

AGAIN, HANDS WENT INTO THE AIR.

“YOU HAVE ALL LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON,” THE SPEAKER SAID.

“NO MATTER WHAT I DID TO THE MONEY,

YOU​​ STILL​​ WANTED IT BECAUSE IT DID NOT​​ DECREASE​​ IN VALUE.

IT WAS STILL WORTH $20.

MANY TIMES IN OUT LIVES,

WE ARE DROPPED, CRUMPLED, AND GROUND INTO THE DIRT

BY THE DECISIONS WE MAKE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES

THAT COME OUR WAY.

WE​​ FEEL AS THOUGH WE ARE WORTHLESS,

BUT NO MATTER WHAT HAS HAPPENED OR WILL HAPPEN,

YOU WILL​​ NEVER​​ LOSE YOUR VALUE IN​​ GOD’S​​ EYES.

DIRTY OR CLEAN, CRUMPLED OR FINELY CREASED,

YOU​​ REMAIN​​ PRICELESS TO GOD.

WHICH BRINGS US BACK FULL-CIRCLE TO TODAY’S PARABLES.

THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES COULDN’T HANDLE THE FACT

THAT ACCORDING TO JESUS, GOD WAS THROWING A​​ PARTY​​ PRECISELY FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO THEY CONSIDERED TO BE​​ 

THE​​ WORST​​ IN THEIR SOCIETY.

IN SPITE OF THEIR – AND OUR – VERY RESPECTABLE OBJECTIONS​​ 

TO GOD’S WAY OF DOING THINGS – JESUS TELLS US BLUNTLY​​ 

THAT​​ GOD’S​​ WAY IS NOT​​ OUR​​ WAY.

JESUS TELLS US IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT THAT

“GOD MAKES GOD’S SUN TO RISE ON THE EVIL AS WELL AS THE GOOD,

AND SENDS RAIN ON THE UNJUST AS WELL AS THE JUST.” ​​ 

(Matthew 5:45)

IN OTHER WORDS,​​ TO ECHO OUR FIRST CORE VALUE AGAIN,

“GOD LOVES​​ ALL​​ PEOPLE,” GOOD​​ AND​​ BAD ALIKE.

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE LITTLE WORD: ​​ “UNTIL.”

IT CONTAINS WITHIN ITSELF GOD’S​​ PROMISE​​ 

THAT GOD WILL NEVER, EVER GIVE UP ON ANYONE.

AND I MIGHT ADD, THIS LITTLE WORD “UNTIL”​​ 

CONTAINS WITHIN ITSLEF GOD’S PROMISE THAT GOD WILL​​ 

NEVER, EVER GIVE UP ON ANYONE​​ OR ANYTHING.

ANOTHER OF GO0D’S PROMISES IN GOD’S GREAT “UNTIL”​​ 

IS THAT GOD WILL MAKE EVERYONE​​ AND EVERYTHING​​ NEW.”

(Revelation 21:5)

IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

COMES TO ITS​​ FULL​​ REALIZATION, IT WILL BE A KINGDOM,

NOT JUST OF ALL​​ PEOPLE, BUT OF ALL OF GOD’S ENTIRE​​ CREATION.

OUR EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS TEACH

THAT​​ NOTHING​​ THAT GOD HAS MADE WILL EVER BE​​ LOST,

BUT THAT​​ EVERYTHING​​ THAT GOD HAS MADE​​ 

WILL ULTIMATELY BE​​ FOUND.

IF​​ THAT’S​​ NOT AN INFINITELY POSITIVE THOUGHT,

I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS.

AMEN AND AMEN.