Adam, Where Are You?

Genesis 3:8-9 ESV
 And they heard the sound
of the Lord God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God
among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

From the very beginning God has reached out to us in the midst of His glory—to declare His compassion and His Love—but also His holiness. His holiness will not stand by and see us destroy our lives and any chance for joy. He erects boundaries to keep us safe. He gives us His Law, never designed to rob us of any true happiness; but instead, to keep us in His Perfect Way on the way to eternal and delightful fellowship with Him. Indeed, even after the first man and woman disobeyed, God first sought them while they were trying to hide from Him. Then He sent them out into the world and onto His path for their redemption and ours. In all of History He has never stopped calling, seeking and finding and bringing those who hear Him and turn to Him. 

Jesus, Incarnate God (God-in-the-Flesh), as He walked among us, as He loved us and taught us and healed and delivered us; told us commonplace stories to call us to God’s Way and Truth and Life. These simple yet profound Parables change us as His Spirit plants and tends them in our hearts until they produce a miraculous harvest—even as He brings us into His Kingdom and equips us for laboring together with Him for HIs Kingdoom.

In Luke fifteen He captures our minds and hearts with beautiful stories filled with His Love and His Truth which will redeem us, if we allow their Gospel message to grow and produce fruit for His Kingdom in our lives redeemed by Him. Let’s take a look at each of these powerful parables. Pray with me that God will use each of these powerful parables  to work redemptive miracles in us until we become like the lost and found lamb, coin and son.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Luke 15:3-4 ESV
So he told them this parable:
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them,
does not leave the ninety-nine
in the open country, and go after
the one that is lost, until he finds it?”

Clearly, Jesus is referring to Himself as this Good Shepherd, who so treasures each of His sheep, He will leave the secure ninety-nine in order to seek and find and return to the fold, the one. Every one of us is precious to Him. He will always leave the ninety-nine sheep safely in the fold to seek and to find the one who is lost. We are each, indeed, precious to Him.

Luke 15:5-7 ESV
“And when he has found it,
he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home,
he calls together his friends
and his neighbors, saying to them,
‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
Just so, I tell you, there will be
more joy in heaven over one sinner
who repents than over ninety-nine
righteous persons who need no repentance.”

So, Jesus finds us and saves us from the dangers which might destroy us outside our Shepherd’s Fold, where we are always vulnerable in this world. Then as He returns us to the security and the blessings of His Home for us, He celebrates with a party more joyous than ever, for as He says, “I have found my sheep that was lost.” He speaks for the heart of God, eager to have us safe in His loving arms.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

Luke 15:8-10 ESV
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins,
if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp
and sweep the house and seek diligently
until she finds it? And when she has found it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors,
saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found
the coin that I had lost.’
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the
angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Next, Jesus tells a remarkably similar story. In this story Jesus explains that a woman has lost one of her precious ten coins. Notice her diligence in seeking this simple treasure so dear to her heart. She lights a lamp and sweeps the house until she finds it. Then she immediately wants to celebrate with her friends and neighbors. She pleads with them; “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.” I can just imagine how the women in the crowd listened with wonder as God captured their hearts with the power of His seeking Love.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-19 ESV
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his
father, ‘Father, give me the share of property
that is coming to me.’ And he divided
his property between them.  
Not many days later,
the younger son gathered all he had
and took a journey into a far country,
and there he squandered
his property
in reckless living. And when he had spent
everything, a severe famine arose
in that country, and he began to be in need.
So he went and hired himself out
to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
And he was longing to be fed
with the pods that the pigs ate,
and no one gave him anything.”

The third of these parables heightens our opportunity to empathize with the son when his own selfishness so misleads him, he ends up literally amidst the pigs—certainly a nightmare for any Jew. Listen to his poignant understanding of how far he has fallen; “And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, . . .” He has lost every bit of his identity as one of the blessed Children of Almighty God. 

Luke 15:17-24
“But when he came to himself,
he said, ‘How many
of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
I will arise and go to my father,
and I will say to him, “
Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you.  
I am no longer worthy
to be called your son.
Treat me as one
of your hired servants.’ 
And he arose
and came to his father.
But while he was still
a long way off,
his father saw him
and felt compassion,
and ran and
embraced him and kissed him.  
And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you.
I am no longer worthy
to be called your son.’
But the father said
to his servants,
’Bring quickly the best robe,
and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
And bring the fattened calf
and kill it,
and let us eat
and celebrate.
For this my son was dead,
and is alive again;
he was lost, and is found.’
And they began to celebrate.’”

Here Jesus shares with us three beautiful truths about God’s redemptive process available to all.
1. First there is repentance in the midst of lostness.
2. Then there is a turning around from the world in order
to travel home.
3. Then there is a joyful discovery that the Loving Father
has been waiting to forgive, redeem and restore His
beloved child.

And then comes the instantaneous and wondrous celebration as the son who has been lost is now found. Here is Jesus’ own perfect portrait of our Loving God, Father, Son and Spirit, too loving to allow us to be destroyed by our sin without coming and seeking and finding us. These are stories of eternal joy for those who listen, who hear, and who believe—who in their deepest hearts accept and receive this eternal, this great Good News.

How could anyone complain about such amazing grace? Well, Jesus was actually telling these beautiful stories to teach people the true picture of God. He was reacting to the Pharisees and their “Letter of the Law” understanding of a God who demands perfection or else—with no real appreciation for His Love and His desire for a personal relationship with each person as His child. With that in mind, let’s read the remainder of “The Prodigal Son.” The focus shifts to the older son.

Luke 15:25-32 ESV
“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the
house, he heard music
and dancing. And he called one of the
servants and asked what
these things meant.
And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come,
and your father
has killed the fattened
calf, because he has received him back
safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to
go in. His father came
out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many
years I have served you,
and I never disobeyed
your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my
friends. But when this
son of yours came, who
has devoured your
property with prostitutes,
you killed the fattened calf for him!’
And he said to him, ‘Son,
you are always with me,
and all that is mine is
yours. It was fitting to
celebrate and be glad,
for this your brother was
dead, and is alive;
he was lost, and is found.’”

First, it is hard not to notice the “But what about me?” attitude. Ironically self-righteous people keep their life focus on themselves and not God. They want to achieve their own salvation. They sadly fail to recognize they are worshiping the idol of self. They refuse to believe they cannot do it on their own. Often they are the most difficult for Jesus to bring to the Father. They actually prefer a distant, judgmental God to the True God of the Bible, who from the Beginning has been seeking His lost children, calling to them, finding them and bringing them eternally Home. What the older brother fails to understand is his younger brother was dead to them and is now alive. He was lost and is now found. Sadly, the older brother (the Pharisees who opposed Jesus) failed to understand how they have chosen themselves over the Father, and are in need of hearing God’s Call to repentance and redemption. So, they are dead still in their selfishness and sin; and they are lost, but have not allowed themselves to be found.

In these remarkably, divinely crafted stories, our hearts are confronted with the Gospel:
1. We have a God who loves us dearly.
2. He seeks us when we wander from His Way.
3. He offers us redemption.
4. We have to turn to Him and follow.
5. He will welcome us Home.

This is the Gospel story we have to tell to the whole world. This is the Gospel story that has saved us. This is the beautiful, the true and only Gospel story.

Because of GOD’S LOVE,
IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS!!!