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Now See and Hear the Podcast! https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/The-Prodigal-e1g0po4
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 New International Version Bible)
A very blessed and joyous Monday, ConCafe family! I thank God for you, dear friend!, and pray God's continued blessings and protection upon you and yours. I thank all of you who lifted me up in prayer for my preaching in my home church of FUMC, Gonzales. I felt welcomed and God's word was preached. I have two more Sundays to cover for our pastor, The Rev. Dr. Matt Pennington, who is on the mend. His pain is slowly decreasing and his wife said he was getting more sleep. Please continue to pray for him as he continues to recover. I also shared with the church about the loss in Dale Graham's life, that of his oldest brother, Kenneth, who died Saturday in Ohio. Please pray for all of the Graham family at this loss. Also, I shared how a longtime dear friend of ours and of the family, Martha Ramirez Villalva, who also died on Saturday. Martha was the daughter of a longtime colleague of mine, The Rev. Fortunato Ramirez, and she also was our go-to baby sitter for Nellie and I during the year I was the council director of the Rio Grande Conferene. May God's comfort be with her husband and son. May God's comfort be with the Floyd Family, upon the death of Earl Ray Floyd, who dies on Thursday. Pray for one another, share your burdens with the Lord, and pray for peace in the Ukraine. Why do we pray? Because God answers prayer.
"Tell me who you hang with, and I'll tell you who you are." An old saying popular in español. And the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law seem to believe it for they began to mutter something along those lines about Jesus and the company He was keeping, namely tax collectors and sinners. The interesting thing is these so-called sinners and tax collectors were there to hear from Jesus and learn from Him. The lesson on that day was a powerful one about those who leave the family of God and then seek to return. Hmm, could Jesus have meant the teaching to those religious leaders somehow?
It's a very familiar story. A man had two sons. And the younger of the two tells his father to give him his share of the family estate. There is no argument and fight among the dad and son, the dad simply divided his property between the two sons. The young son takes his share and hightails it ouf of the region and heads to where the fun is. And, according to the story,. "squandered his wealth in wild living." Just as the money is running out a famine comes and he, like most in the area, begins to feel the pinch of poverty. The only job this good Jewish boy could get was a nightmare job for good Jews, that of feeding pigs. As the boy feeds the pigs the pods they were eating seemed attractive to the hungry young man. But, no one offered him any of that food. As the hunger increased, so did his imagination of what he had left behind for a brief period of fancy living and this wild life he had for a brief time. "My father's hired hands had plenty of food, even to spare, and here I am starving to death! Here's what I will do, I will go and speak to my Dad and tell him that I have sinned against heaven and against him, and so, I am no longer worthy to be call his son, and I will ask that he please take me back as one of his hired servants." And off he heads, back home. The young man became the dot in the horizon that this old man sought for each and every one of the days the young man was gone, and up from his rocking chair springs the old man down the dusty road towards that dot that surely is his son! The old man felt only compassion for his son, grabbed him and kissed him. The son tries to give his prepared speech, but the Dad had only eyes for the son that was lost and is now found. "Quick!" shouts the dad to the hired hands, "Grab the best robe we have and put it on my boy! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it. We shall make a feast and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and now is found!" And the celebration begins and the music reaches the ears of the older son. He comes to the party and angrily attacks the Dad. "All these years I have been slaving for you and not once have I disobeyed your orders, yet, you never once gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends! But when this wayward son of yours comes home, and might I add that he spent all your money on prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf and have a party!" The father says, "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and now is found."
The father in the story, like our Heavenly Father always has a spot in His heart for all, especially those who have never left Him. Could Jesus be addressing the Pharisees and those who served God, and who mutter their displeasure for Jesus welcoming in to the fellowship, "Tax Collectors and sinners?" This story was the third such story in this 15th chapter of Luke that is called the chapter of the lost, for it speaks of God's love for all who are lost. The lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. All were sought earnestly and at great expenese,and when found, they were greatly welcomed into the fold of God with open arms. You, dear friend, matter to God, no matter how far you think you believed you have wandered off course. So, welcome back!
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for your gracious love for all people. Make us know of Your love when we feel far from You and draw us nearer to You. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show others how the love of Christ has blessed you!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
