"You Always Had Me" (Luke 15:11-32)
The parable of the prodigal son highlights the contrast between a repentant sinner and a self-righteous individual. The younger son, after squandering his inheritance, returns home seeking forgiveness, possibly with a manipulative mindset, but ultimately accepts his father’s invitation to celebrate and enjoy their restored relationship. The older son, however, resents the grace shown to his brother. The older brother calls to his father’s attention his years of slaving for the family. He fails to see that his father never required him to slave for approval or acceptance but simply to enjoy the merciful status of sonship. This parable teaches that the Christian life is not about proving our worthiness to receive God’s favor but about pursuing our lord, living in communion with Him, and rejoicing in our relationship seeking to live out of gratitude and joy rather than boasting of one’s works.
The Sinners' Supper: Mercy in the Mess (Luke 15:1-10)
In this passage, Christ’s association with tax collectors and sinners challenges the Pharisees' understanding of holiness and reveals their self-righteousness. Christ responds with two parables: the shepherd who seeks out the one lost sheep, symbolizing his love for the lost, and the woman who finds a lost coin, emphasizing the joy of restoration. These parables contrast the Pharisees' lack of understanding of repentance and highlight the importance of seeking righteousness through Christ rather than self-reliance. It is remarkable that even the angels in heaven celebrate the repentance of sinners, urging believers to align with this divine celebration of redemption.
Two Graces or One Grace Through Two Means? (Gen. 17; Rom. 4:11; LD 25)
The means of grace—preaching the Gospel and the sacraments—are tools God uses to nourish believers, though they are not the source of life itself. Sacraments visibly communicate the Gospel and are given to strengthen weak faith, just as Abraham received circumcision as a seal of God’s promise amid his doubts. While sacraments are a means of grace, the preaching of the Gospel remains central, proclaiming God’s power to bring life from death like Ezekiel standing over the valley of dry bones. Ultimately, both the Word and sacraments point to and nourish us in the life-giving power of Christ through the Spirit, who sustains His people and the Spirit who raises Christ from the dead. This is the power at work in us.
Considering Christ's Call (Luke 14:25-35)
Normally, God is often associated with love.. However, Christ challenges this notion by calling His followers to hate their families and even their own lives, seemingly to contradict Moses' command to honor parents. Christ is teaching the cost of true discipleship—one that requires prioritizing Him every worldly comfort, bearing the cross, and seeking God’s will over worldly ambitions. He warns against a superficial understanding of His kingdom, calling believers to count the cost and commit fully, even at potentially great personal sacrifice. True discipleship means losing one's life in the sense of reprioritizing values according to the cross, and living as a sacrifice to God. Thus, Christians must conform to Christ’s image, discerning His wisdom through the Spirit and aligning their lives with His priorities in faith.
Establishing the True Vision of Peace (Luke 13:31-35)
The city of man, represented by Herod’s tyranny, gives an illusion of peace through threats and violence. Christ’s kingdom is contrasted as he lays down his succumbing to the tyranny of this age. Christ is warned by a faction of Pharisees of Herod’s threat to kill Jesus. Jesus does not cower, exposing Herod’s weakness and remaining resolute in his mission. Christ makes explicit that Herod is not the threat to Jesus, but earthly Jerusalem rejects him like they have with all the prophets. Jesus is the true protector, as he was in their exodus event. The irony is that the vision of peace in his age joins the world peace of Rome by rejecting Christ. However, God overturns their sentence of death through the resurrection. Christ calls humanity to walk through the narrow door; they are called to take his yoke upon them and to do so before Christ returns as the true king of glory—the stone the builders rejected God has set as the cornerstone. Let us not reject God’s word, but embrace the substance of the word as we bow our knee to Chris
Living in a Tomb? (Phil. 3:21, Lord’s Day 22)
Our current flesh was made for this world. Adam is from the dirt. He was created good in body and soul. We needed a glorified body that was fit for heaven. This is not because the flesh is evil, but because the flesh is earthy. In our fallen state, the curse is that the body will not be glorified, but by the redemptive work of Christ, we are guaranteed to be glorified as we are in Christ. Therefore, rather than seeing our bodies as unimportant or disposable, we should recognize that God not only created us with a good body, but Christ redeemed us as whole humans: body and soul.
Strive for the Narrow Door (Luke 13)
Jesus warns that we tend to ask the wrong question in our redemption. We tend to focus on whether they have done enough rather than whether they are striving to enter through the narrow door on Christ’s terms. Many assume they are spiritually secure, but without Christ’s redemption, they are lost. As Jesus journeys to Jerusalem, his followers expect earthly glory, yet he moves toward suffering, the cross, and ultimate victory through resurrection. This will happen in the city called the Vision of Shalom (peace) or Jerusalem. The issue posed to Jesus is how many will be saved rather than how one can be saved. Jesus calls for striving, emphasizing that salvation is not about religious heritage or outward association but a true commitment to him. The narrow door will not remain open forever, and many who assume they belong to God’s kingdom will be shut out, while unexpected outsiders will be welcomed in. This great reversal fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 25) of God’s feast, where only those who humbly trust in Christ will rejoice. Ultimately, salvation is not about human effort or religious status but about submitting to Christ and recognizing our need for his redeeming grace before the door closes.
Christ’s Public Scandal (Luke 13:1-10)
Jesus continually overturns expectations, revealing that God's kingdom is about inward renewal, and it is not mere rule-keeping. In Luke 13, He heals a woman who had suffered for 18 years, but instead of rejoicing, the religious leaders are outraged because their rigid view of the Sabbath blinded them to its true purpose—rest and restoration. Jesus exposes their hypocrisy, showing that they care more for their animals than for a suffering daughter of Abraham. He then gives two parables—the mustard seed and the leaven—illustrating how God’s kingdom grows through a quiet inward power, transforming lives from the inside out. The gospel is not about legalism or self-reliance but about pursuing and loving God, allowing Him to heal and renew us. As we grow in our union with Christ, sin loses its grip, and we find true joy in His presence. May we humbly tremble at His Word and pursue Him, knowing that He first pursued and secured us by His grace.
Refined in Tribulation (LD 20; 1 Peter 4:14)
Peter, despite his past failure when he denied Christ three times, exhorts us to rejoice in suffering. This might sound hypocritical, but Peter is being consistent because Peter understands suffering as a refining process, much like precious metals being purified. Trials do not signify God’s abandonment or punishment, but strengthen faith, deepen union with Christ, and reveal our character. The Holy Spirit, who raised Christ and filled the temple, now dwells in believers, preserving and empowering them to persevere until the glory.
Fruitless Faith or Fruit-bearing Faith? (Luke 13:1-9)
The book of Job challenges the simplistic idea that righteousness guarantees blessings and wickedness results in suffering. Instead, the book presents a deeper theodicy that studies how God’s justice works in time. God is showing he will triumph, and his people need to submit to him as his champion people. Job comes to know God, repents of his self-righteousness, and finds victory by bowing the knee to his redeemer.
Christ echoes this theme in His response to the Siloam tower disaster and the parable of the fig tree. Christ’s point is that our outward appearance is not the substance of righteousness. One needs to be oriented and tuned into the Lord’s kingdom, and discerning the Lord’s ways. Job’s story fits within this broader biblical narrative, calling believers to move beyond a rigid understanding of divine justice. We are called to self-examination and faithful submission to God’s will rather than be piety police proclaiming why catastrophe strikes everyone else.
Our Confidence, Our Calling, and Our Coming King (LD 19; Matthew 25:31-46)
Christ’s return isn’t just a future event—it’s a reality that shapes how we live today. While some ignore it and others fear judgment, Scripture assures us that He is both Judge and Redeemer, securing our place in His kingdom. True faith isn’t about religious performance but a heart transformed by grace, reflected in everyday acts of love and service. Our hope isn’t in escaping this world but in knowing that every act of faithfulness is part of His redemption story. Let’s live with confidence, seeking our King because He first sought us.
Can Faith Both Unite and Divide? (Luke 12:49-59)
Jesus’ mission is paradoxical because He unifies His people in faith and brings division at the same time. Christ is celebrated because he brings heavenly peace, but Christ declares, “I have not come to bring peace, but division,” because true peace is not the absence of conflict but submission to Christ as King. Families may be divided over their allegiance to Him, but His baptism of suffering and judgment secures His disciples who hear his word. Just as the Spirit’s fire empowered the disciples rather than consuming them in Luke’s second volume, Christ’s sacrifice enables us to stand in the final judgment as we already taste its cleansing power. He warns that while people can discern the weather, many fail to recognize the urgency of the gospel. Real faith is not about religious rituals or cultural Christianity but about embracing Jesus as Messiah, Savior, and King. By faith, we are transformed, aligning our hearts and lives with Him, not as perfect people but as redeemed ones who live for God’s glory. Let us judge for ourselves what is right as we discern the true words of our savior.
Our Advocate and New Mind (LD 18; Colossians 3:1-4)
Colossians 3:1-4 highlights Christ’s supreme position as the glorified God-Man, ascended to the right hand of the Father. Christ is seated as the glorified God-man. Contrasting heresies like Eutychianism and Nestorianism, which misunderstand the union of Christ’s divine and human natures, the text emphasizes the hypostatic union as essential to our redemption. Christ’s heavenly ministry as our advocate and intercessor ensures our sanctification and ultimate glorification, empowering believers to live victoriously in their union because Christ has guaranteed our triumph over sin and death.
Joyful Slaves under Sovereign Scrutiny (Luke 12:35-48)
The Christian life is based on the assurance in Christ’s finished work and a call to active, faithful service. Christ not only secures our righteousness, but he also transforms our hearts, empowering us to live as responsive, vigilant servants awaiting our Master’s return. Jesus presents these parables to challenge us to serve Him diligently, trust in God’s provision, and glorify Him in all things as we anticipate the fullness of His kingdom.
