Welcoming the Offender

Need: reconciliation; benefits?

Separated Relationships - torn up letter; helpful to see relationships with people like we do God

How? Longer we wait the harder it is;

Not pursuing like the shepherd looking for the sheep, the woman looking for the lost coin;

Being a person / a place where you know you can return; who goes where they’re not wanted

Title: Welcoming the Offender

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Topic: God makes it possible to reconcile. We make it harder. (for ourselves and others)

Younger son: makes it hard for himself (tax collectors, sinners)

Imagine broken relationships: What breaks a relationship (with God)?

Unappreciative, ungrateful???

Desiring instant gratification???

Self Centered (I)

Seeing discipleship as restrictive???

Yes means we are Filling the God void with all the wrong things, places

What made it hard to reconcile? Shame

Shame: on his father - audacity hurt his father’s wealth, reputation;

Shame: on himself/consequences - wanting pig food (unclean)

Fearing embarrassment judgment ...comes to his senses

Topic: God makes it possible to reconcile. We make it harder. (for ourselves)

Older Son: makes it hard on others and himself (Pharisees)

Addresses God: Look! Makes it harder for the brother to return.

Imagine being the person trying to forgive: How do we make it hard on others to reconcile with God?

Focus On self (like son 2):

Our sense of justice. (you)

Our superiority (I have slaved).

Desire for reward (where’s my party)

Disrespect for Father

Resenting reconciliation; - raw emotion? Deeply internalized

Reconciliation cause for celebration: Be a part? Or - Sitting outside the party

Resisting inclusion (Rich, homeless man)

Youth - do not believe we would accept, do not believe they would come next door; true or not, that’s the way we are perceived.

Rejecting people with obvious deficiencies, discovered deficiencies

Topic: God makes it possible to reconcile. We make it harder. (for others)

Father: Makes it possible. (Pharisees, Tax Collectors)

Recognizing our sin made possible, forgiveness possible

Knowing the father enough to know he will be accepted...as a servant

Father’s reputation

Ring, robe, restores identity; gives us a new identity (not just an improved you)

Celebration, Joy

Imitate God’s ministry of pursuit - reconciliation

Being welcoming (not tolerant, reserving judgment) of what we can see

Not rejecting what we discover in others - some problems not immediately apparent

Being a place, having a reputation for being this kind of people (what’s our reputation? Not self assessment)

Accept by going, not just waiting. Go to people who are not like us, but need us. We might need them too.