Advent Devotional: The Gospel of LukeUzorak

*Written by Dr. Shannon Evans

In today’s reading, we find Jesus dining with sinners. He left the religiously devout, law-abiding Pharisees to spend time with the ungodly sinners.

How distasteful! Not only does “this man welcome sinners,” He “eats with them,” too! (Luke 15:2)

Though the Pharisees prided themselves in being both students and teachers of the Law, Jesus knows that they still have a lot to learn. Jesus, willing to help them learn, acknowledges their disdain through three parables. The parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. These three parables all share a common ending: what was lost is now found. But, as with all parables, there is a deeper meaning, which He also shares: the return of the lost is always cause for rejoicing.

God looks at us and sees His precious creation whom He loves and from whom He does not want to be separated. In His patience (2 Peter 3:9), and through these parables, we see that God laments over the lost, looks for the lost, and loves on the lost (and found).

1. Lamenting over the Lost

To lament means to express sorrow, mourning, or regret, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Why would God feel sorrow? He’s the Creator. With a word, He brings things into being and can make them disappear just as quickly. What could ever make Him feel sad?

The Lord grieves over sin and rebellion, but instead of wanting us to perish, He looks to redeem us. We can picture His grief mirrored in what must have been the father’s grief in the Parable of the Lost Son. Though we are not explicitly told that he grieved, his response upon his son’s return (Luke 15:32) suggests that he did.

When He laments over our sin, we should lament as well – not believing that we are condemned because we have sinned, but realizing that we are in need of repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9) so that we can be forgiven. I imagine that the lost son envisioned his father’s grief and began to grieve himself. This is what led him to repent (Luke 15:17-20).

2. Looking for the Lost

There are many examples of God’s wrath as a response to sin. There are also many examples of God calling His people to repentance. God is omnipresent; there is nowhere we can go to escape His presence (Psalm 139:7-12). Even in exile, though He may allow us to wander in our sin as the father did with the lost son, we do not wander so far as to wander away from His thoughts. As with the shepherd and the woman, He is willing to come and find us where we are and bring us home.

God’s decisions regarding sin point us back to His redemption plan. Sometimes, it may feel like God, as the shepherd, has followed us, picked us up out of our mess and confusion, and brought us back home. Sometimes, God, as the woman, may leave no stone unturned in His effort to restore us to the right relationship with Him. Other times, circumstances may open our eyes to the reality around us so that we realize that we are not living out God’s best for our lives, reminding us of what we had in our Father's house and prompting us to return home. In any event, God, out of His unending love, intently looks for those who are lost.

3. Loving on the Lost (and Found)

When the lost sheep returns to the fold, when the lost coin is found, when the lost son makes his way home, the command is to rejoice because what was dead is now alive; what was lost is now found (Luke 15: 7; 9; 22-24).

When we repent and commit to following the Lord, it is truly cause for celebration. God loves us so much that, just like the characters in the parables, He does not rejoice alone. All of heaven rejoices as well. That’s how important this step of faith is. For the Lost Son, this celebration included a robe, a ring, sandals, and a fattened calf. For those of us who answer the call to come back home, our celebration includes a far greater gift – the gift of eternal life with a loving God (John 3:16).

In the midst of this Advent season—the season of His coming—reading this book of Jesus’ acts and teachings is a great way to reflect on why He came. He “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10 ESV). In His upside-down Kingdom, we are not forgotten. We are sought after and loved.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for your amazing grace and reckless love that seeks us when we find ourselves in the darkness. We acknowledge that we live in a broken world and sometimes give in to the ways of this world, turning our backs on you. We thank You for caring about us enough to lament over our sins, look for us when we are lost, and love us unconditionally. We pray, Father, that just as You have called us back to You, You also would use us as Your vessels to those around us who are lost and do not yet know You as their Lord and Savior. Love through us. Speak through us. Move through us. As we celebrate the mystery of the incarnation, help us to reflect on what it means for the Word to choose to become flesh to offer us the gift of salvation as a part of Your love story with us. May we be an encouragement to those around us and a reflection of Your love, Your grace, and Your mercy. We love You, and we bless You. In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. When was the last time you found yourself grieving over turning away from God or living in direct disobedience to His commands?
2. What challenges do you experience while living in Beijing as they relate to your walk with the Lord? In light of today's reading, what is one practical step you can take to overcome these challenges?
3. How do these parables compare to God’s relationship with Israel in the Old Testament? Can you think of specific examples?
4. As you read today’s passage and devotional, did anyone else come to mind? Commit to praying for them and for an opportunity to share God’s love with them this season.