Session 3 – Pastor Bryan Rezen
Parables of the Kingdom (Luke 10 & 15)
In the first session of this study, we learned that Luke writes his Gospel with a specific eye for the marginalized of society. In the context of Luke’s Gospel it’s important to note that there was a clear hierarchy in society where there was an in crowd and an out crowd. Haha…not much has changed in 2,000 years. The inclusion of all is why Luke is the only Gospel (Chap 10) who tells the story of Jesus sending out the 72. He begins chapter 10 with this story of Jesus equipping and sending out 72 disciples to preach, heal, and spread the good news of Jesus. What’s interesting is Luke is specifically connecting the 72 disciples with the 72 known nations of the world written about in Genesis 10. Luke is the only Gospel that includes this story in his writing. This means Luke is wanting to make sure that everyone knows that everyone is included!!! This is amazing news, all people are included in the Gospel of Jesus. “Somehow, by their love, their life, their words, the seventy-two have to prepare the hearts of the people to understand what Jesus is going to say.” p137. We know this from the first verse of chapter 10, “The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit.” Luke also includes that each of the 72 were sent out in pairs. “As far as he is concerned, the gospel of love cannot be communicated by one person because in the end, love is something happening between two.” p 138 And of course Jesus understood that the gospel of love is to be lived out, it’s not entirely verbal, it requires action to love one another.
Chapter also includes arguably the most famous teaching of Jesus, the Good Samaritan. At the heart of the story of the Good Samaritan is the answer to the question that many of Jesus’ followers were asking and potentially the same question each one of us asks and that’s, who am I required to love? You can tell at its core Luke’s gospel central message is full inclusion of all people, not some, but all people. Wow, chapter 10 is packed with so much truth it’s hard to limit this study to just 6 weeks. I would invite you to read all of Luke before Easter to get a better understanding of the person of Jesus as Luke describes him.
Chapter 15 holds the most epic story Jesus ever told, the story of the prodigal son. In all honesty I’m not a big fan of the title that we’ve given the story. I wonder how we might view the story differently if it was called the tale of the two sons or the grace of the father that heals, or something like that. Either way the story holds a key concept of God’s love for us that we most likely appreciate the most and that’s grace. The father in the story has every right to punish his son and to draw a boundary by not letting him come back and enjoy the family estate like he had before he left. But of course we know that’s not what happened, the father when he sees his son…runs! That’s right he runs towards the son who took his money and left, giving him a full embrace and markers (ring and robe) that he is restored as his son.
Chapters 10 & 15 hold two of Jesus most famous stories that teach deep truths about what the kingdom of God is like. First, the kingdom of God loves everyone and cares for those who are in need. The deeper teaching here is we are to love and serve others no matter who they are or what they have done to us. And secondly, no matter how far we’ve strayed away from love, grace is ready to receive us back home. We know that God is a God that pursues us and never stops.
Reflection Questions
Who in your life is God calling you to reach out to, to include?
Who in your life disgusts you and makes you angry and how might you do one act of kindness today to show them love and acceptance?
What keeps you from seeing everyone the way Jesus sees them? What blinders might you have that might limit your ability to love others with the love of Jesus?
