Monday, June 19, 2023
Who among us hasn’t done hurtful things or said hurtful words to those we care most about?
In the past, I’ve had to ask for forgiveness from my father for unfairly criticizing him. Although I don’t remember the exact words that were said, I know they were hurtful and deserving of an apology. Through these difficult conversations, I was able to make amends, and thankfully, we have a better relationship for it.
Relationships are hard, but they matter. Luckily for us, throughout the Bible, Jesus models how to navigate the messy moments we encounter with other people. Why? Because people are worth it.
All people.
Luke 15:1-2
1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!
We are all loved and equally worthy in God’s eyes, and Jesus knew that to be true. He valued people and relationships so much that he willingly interacted with those who were different from him, including outcasts and those who had been shunned by society. In fact, he went out of his way to find and give hope to those lost souls.
In Luke 15, Jesus tells several stories to bring this lesson to life. In the “Parable of the Lost Sheep” (Luke 15:3-7), the shepherd rejoices over the one lost sheep that was found after it had strayed.
Luke 15:6-7
6 “When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”
Through his actions, Jesus modeled what God’s love looks like to all people, not just those who live right according to arbitrary standards. To the religious leaders of the day, this was unthinkable behavior, but Jesus wanted to teach them the true heart of God. He invited people to the table who looked different from him. He forgave those who turned their backs on him. He welcomed those who had been lost instead of giving them their just punishment for straying. He lovingly served all of his sheep, even when they “didn’t deserve it.”
Bottom line: We model what we value.
Just as the son in the song “Watching You” imitates his father, our actions should reflect those of our heavenly Father. We are called to imitate Christ in all we do (Ephesians 5:1), and this includes what we value. Do your actions reflect what you value most? Are these the things that God values?
Continue reading the LivingItOut this week as we further explore this message and how Pastor Andy Rectenwald unpacked another story from Luke 15, the “Parable of the Lost Son.”
Questions:
What do you value most? Do you feel you model this well to others through how you live?
As you study Jesus’ actions throughout the Bible, how does he respond to the spiritually lost? What could you say to them to model Jesus’ response?
Next Steps:
Take time to reflect on what you value in relationships.
Listen to “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins, and consider how you can be more like Jesus in your relationships as you live this out in your faith life.
If there is someone you have criticized, judged, or wronged in some way, take time to apologize and begin the mending process.
Prayer:
God, I could live in the shame of turning away from you, or even let others do that, but you value relationships so much you are willing to embrace me. I’m sorry for the times when I have not valued my relationship with you or the people you have put in my life. I want to model the value of relationships, and I pray I would be an example of what that looks like. Amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Ecclesiastes 9:17
“Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king.”