One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. (Luke 14:1-4)Then there's the lawyer thing I mentioned yesterday as well. These guys (the Pharisees and experts in the law) were so wrapped up in trying to keep every little letter of the law that they miss the big picture. It's never the wrong time to do the right thing...even on the Sabbath.
Luke 15 closes with the famous story of the Lost Son (or the Prodigal Son, or the Loving Father). There's a line in the story that I think is very important...and it's one that I think these "Pharisees and experts in the law" probably would gasp at, if they knew Jesus was talking about God. I think maybe we have trouble with it as well....
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)This wayward son had decided to return. He hadn't made it yet...he was still a long way off...but the father ran to his son...
I think there's enough in that sentence to meditate on for a lifetime.
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