Immanuel Lutheran Palatine Media

A strange and wonderful irony emerges in all three of today’s Readings. The lost are found, whereas those who think they have found God, yet continue to mistreat others, are revealed to be the ones who are actually lost. There is a warning in this for us, who are tempted at times to think that we know God entirely, that we are the righteous and by our good behavior deserve God’s love. Like the fat and strong sheep in Ezekiel, like Saul the smugly self-righteous persecutor, and like the grumbling scribes and Pharisees in Luke, we are tempted to mistreat those we see as lost, strayed, and weak. We are reminded that God Himself comes into the world to seek and to find the lost, the strayed, the weak, and that God rejoices with great joy when a lost sheep is found. The Church is to be a place where sinners are welcome and where lives are transformed by the relentless love of Jesus, who is always seeking the lost? Listen-In or Watch below…