Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
July 2, 2024
Luke 15:1-7
1 All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. 2 The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.
Good Morning! I was lost, but now I’m found!
The Pharisees were very challenged by the idea that Jesus came to find the lost, the sick, and the outcasts. They had imagined that the Messiah would come and seek them out all their lives. Perhaps the Messiah would want a report of what was happening in the community. i.e., who was following the rules and who wasn’t.
After all, they spent much of their time assessing “demerits” for violations of the infinite number of rules they had determined were part of living a “holy” life. Based on our understanding of the Pharisees, they would have eagerly awaited their opportunity to boast of their own efforts to lead the chosen people in the proper way to live.
Imagine their disdain when Jesus (this supposed Messiah) went first to the dredges of society. In fact, he didn’t want to hear of their exploits at all. He never came and introduced himself to them, nor did he choose to join them in their work. This Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah; he doesn’t meet our expectations and isn’t following the rules we have worked so hard to establish.
What about us? Are we like the Pharisees or Jesus? Would we rather hide in our fancy buildings and clothes, or do we go out and find the lost sheep? The sheep have wandered many places that concern us. They are in the mud, the shadows, and the pits. Are we ready to get dirty and take risks to find them? Then there is the judging of the worthiness of the lost.
Because the Pharisees were caught in their trappings of entitlement, they lost their way. The Good News is that Jesus comes to find all who are lost: the weak, the sick, the weary, and even the Pharisees when they are ready to admit that they are lost as well.
God of Wisdom, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We elevate ourselves and believe we know what’s best. Help us humble ourselves so that we can be found. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God knows where we are even when we feel lost.
Put aside your entitlement and follow Christ! Pastor Liz
Comments