Ordinary Time: Friday, June 30, 2006

I'm going to do this a little different today. I've been thinking about one of my favorite passages in the Word, Luke 15. There's something about how it is written in the Message that has always stuck with me. Instead of my unusual reflection upon the Daily Lectionary, I'm going to reflect upon Luke 15 today.

Luke 15

In these great three parables, we see two types of people. The lost and the found. What is lost is a coin. A sheep. A son. And some Pharisees. What they don't realize in the beginning of the text is that they are just as lost as the prodigal son.

Now, they may not look lost. They may look religious. They may be in the temple every time there is a festival. But, the don't follow the savior who is right there in front of their face.

We all know that the prodigal son is lost. Look how he's living. That one is easy. But, the Pharisees don't look lost. They look religious. There is a difference between looking religious and being religious. If you look religious, you actions don't reflect you heart.

If you are religious, your actions are based upon your heart.

There were four things in this chapter that were lost: a sheep, a coin, a son, and some Pharisees. Only the first three were found. Today, what is on your heart. Are you like the Pharisees, grumbling about those terrible sinners. Or, are you like the lost son, that knew he needed to come home. Today, which of the four are we?