| Would you let your kids go to a
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| | sheep in the pasture and go looking for
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| Youth Group run by Jesus?
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| | the one that got lost until you find it."
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| A sermon on Luke chapter 15
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| | "When you find it", He continues, "you
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| One day when many tax collectors and
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| | are so happy that you put it on your
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| other outcasts came to listen to Jesus,
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| | shoulders and carry it back home. Then
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| the Pharisees and teachers of the Law
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| | you call your friends and neighbours
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| started grumbling, "This man welcomes
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| | together and say to them, 'I am so happy
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| outcasts and even eats with them!"
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| | I found my lost sheep. Let us
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| So Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose
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| | celebrate!'"
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| one of you has a hundred sheep and loses
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| | And so you kill the fatted calf (or the
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| one of them---what do you do? You leave
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| | fatted sheep perhaps in this case) and
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| the other ninety-nine sheep in the
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| | have a party, which would sort of destroy
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| pasture and go looking for the one that
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| | the point of finding it, but it's a
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| got lost until you find it. When you find
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| | pretty bizarre story to being with!
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| it, you are so happy that you put it on
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| | What sort of shepherd loses one sheep out
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| your shoulders and carry it back home.
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| | of a hundred and then responds by leaving
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| Then you call your friends and neighbors
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| | the ninety-nine to fend for themselves
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| together and say to them, 'I am so happy
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| | while he goes off and pours all his time
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| I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!'
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| | and energy into looking for the one that
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| In the same way, I tell you, there will
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| | was lost? What type of shepherd does
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| be more joy in heaven over one sinner who
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| | that? A rather eccentric shepherd, to say
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| repents than over ninety-nine respectable
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| | the least!
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| people who do not need to repent.
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| | Now I don't pretend to know a lot about
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| "Or suppose a woman who has ten silver
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| | shepherding. Indeed, I'm not far ahead of
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| coins loses one of them, what does she
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| | Pink when it comes to understanding the
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| do? She lights a lamp, sweeps her house,
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| | wool trade. Even so, I think I do know
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| and looks carefully everywhere until she
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| | something about running a business and I
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| finds it. When she finds it, she calls
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| | know that if you have a hundred assets of
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| her friends and neighbors together, and
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| | any kind and lose one, you don't
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| says, 'I am so happy I found the coin I
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| | sacrifice the ninety-nine in order to get
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| lost. Let us celebrate!' In the same way,
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| | the one back! That's just common sense -
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| I tell you, the angels of God rejoice
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| | something the shepherd in this story
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| over one sinner who repents."
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| | doesn't seem to have a lot of!
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| Jesus went on to say, "There was once a
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| | "Or suppose a woman who has ten silver
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| man who had two sons. The younger one
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| | coins loses one of them - what does she
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| said to him, 'Father, give me my share of
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| | do? She lights a lamp, sweeps her house,
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| the property now.' So the man divided his
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| | and looks carefully everywhere until she
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| property between his two sons. After a
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| | finds it. When she finds it, she calls
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| few days the younger son sold his part of
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| | her friends and neighbours together, and
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| the property and left home with the
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| | says to them, 'I am so happy I found the
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| money. He went to a country far away,
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| | coin I lost. Let us celebrate!"
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| where he wasted his money in reckless
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| | What sort of woman behaves like that? A
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| living. He spent everything he had. Then
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| | woman with a mental illness, surely!
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| a severe famine spread over that country,
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| | It has been suggested that these ten
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| and he was left without a thing.
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| | coins were actually a dowry of some kind
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| So he went to work for one of the
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| | and hence worth a fortune, but there's
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| citizens of that country, who sent him
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| | nothing really in this short yarn to
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| out to his farm to take care of the pigs.
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| | suggest that. No, this woman is (to use
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| He wished he could fill himself with the
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| | Susan's term) very much on the spectrum!
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| bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave
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| | She loses one lousy coin. She turns her
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| him anything to eat. At last he came to
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| | life, and certainly her home, upside-down
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| his senses and said, 'All my father's
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| | - pulling up floorboards, furniture in
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| hired workers have more than they can
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| | the front yard, etc - looking for it. And
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| eat, and here I am about to starve! I
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| | when she finds it, she holds a party,
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| will get up and go to my father and say,
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| | which is bound her cost her more than
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| "Father, I have sinned against God and
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| | what the coin was worth!
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| against you. I am no longer fit to be
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| | Or what father among you, having a son
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| called your son; treat me as one of your
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| | who got hold of his inheritance, and then
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| hired workers." ' So he got up and
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| | took off with it and wasted it all,
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| started back to his father.
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| | wouldn't stand out at the front gate each
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| "He was still a long way from home when
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| | day, waiting for his boy to come home?
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| his father saw him; his heart was filled
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| | That's a rather abbreviated version of
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| with pity, and he ran, threw his arms
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| | the last story, but I think I've captured
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| around his son, and kissed him. 'Father,'
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| | the essence of it nonetheless.
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| the son said, 'I have sinned against God
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| | What sort of father continues to hold out
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| and against you. I am no longer fit to be
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| | hope for his son and then takes him back,
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| called your son.' But the father called
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| | even though he has disrespected him, hurt
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| to his servants. 'Hurry!' he said. 'Bring
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| | him, abandoned him and betrayed him?
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| the best robe and put it on him. Put a
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| | What sort of father does that? A stupid
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| ring on his finger and shoes on his feet.
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| | father, of course! A father who cares
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| Then go and get the prize calf and kill
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| | more about his weak and pathetic
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| it, and let us celebrate with a feast!
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| | offspring than he does about his own good
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| For this son of mine was dead, but now he
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| | name and reputation! A father who is less
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| is alive; he was lost, but now he has
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| | concerned with justice than he is with
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| been found.'
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| | picking up weaklings! A father whose
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| We're in Luke chapter 15, and Jesus
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| | sentimental affection for his wayward
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| appears to be partying again!
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| | child is so all-consuming that he seems
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| Jesus was fond of saying that the Kingdom
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| | to be incapable of just giving thanks for
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| of God is like a party, and he seemed
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| | his remaining good children and getting
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| keen to illustrate that with his
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| | on with life. In other words ... any
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| lifestyle, wherein he was a frequent
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| | father, any mother, anyone who loves
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| guest at dinner parties and a not too
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| | their children! For love makes us do
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| infrequent host of spontaneous soirees.
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| | stupid things.
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| And I don't think that Jesus' religious
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| | It's interesting, isn't it, that when you
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| peers would have been too concerned about
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| | work your way through the stories, you
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| all that, austere though they may have
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| | can see a sort of progressive
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| been, had it not been for the type of
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| | degeneration. We start with the eccentric
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| persons He regularly invited to join Him
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| | shepherd, followed by the
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| at these parties."This man welcomes
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| | neurotic-obsessive woman, followed by the
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| outcasts and even eats with them!" (read
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| | insane father, but by the time we get to
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| 'parties' with them)
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| | the father, the insanity is starting to
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| I remember well, back at my home church
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| | make sense (if you know what I mean)
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| in Surry Hills, we decided one Easter to
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| | because it is an insanity that is based
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| put on a party for the homeless in our
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| | on love, and love makes us do crazy
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| area. I used to run a youth group back
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| | things!
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| there in the early 80's - at the Chinese
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| | We love our children. All of us who are
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| Presbyterian Church of Surry Hills, and
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| | parents would, I think, die a thousand
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| we decided to invite all the homeless
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| | times over to save our children from
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| persons from the local shelters to dinner
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| | suffering. That doesn't make a lot of
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| at the church.
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| | sense, but love doesn't always make
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| We already had a long-term working
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| | sense, especially when it comes to our
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| relationship with the local Sydney City
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| | own children.
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| Mission homes and other detox centres in
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| | And this is where the rubber hits the
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| the area. The only problem was that most
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| | road when it comes to these no-hopers
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| of us were too young to drive, and a lot
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| | that Jesus likes to hang around with. The
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| of the homeless persons were not very
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| | question is whether we think of these
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| mobile, but the local Missionbeat drivers
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| | people as somebody else's problems, or as
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| helped out by bussing everybody who
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| | members of our own family!
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| couldn't walk up to the church hall, and
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| | Whenever I'm at a gathering with my
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| since half the kids in the youth group
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| | fellow clerics, people ask me about our
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| had parents who owned Chinese
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| | Youth Centre. The first question normally
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| restaurants, we were able to put on a
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| | is, "so are these kids you're providing
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| tremendous smorgasbord, followed by a
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| | for mainly kids from your church?" And
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| movie ('Chariots of Fire', I think it
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| | the answer is "no". The second question
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| was).
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| | is, "well, do you see a lot of those kids
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| That night was probably the best memory I
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| | come into the church through your work?",
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| have of my many years in the Chinese
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| | to which the answer again is "no". At
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| Presbyterian Church. The only problem was
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| | some point the question comes, "so why do
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| that, after it was all over, the elders
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| | you bother?"
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| of the church forbade us from ever
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| | It's a fair question I suppose. Why would
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| repeating the performance, the explicit
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| | you squander your resources on people who
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| reason given was that one of the girls
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| | are never likely to repay you or even
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| had been propositioned by one of the old
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| | thank you.
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| men!
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| | Of course, sometimes I try to defend our
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| At the time I thought, 'what a bunch of
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| | work by pointing to our success stories -
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| wankers!' But now I too am a parent, and
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| | people we've worked with who have got off
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| I can better understand why a parent
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| | the needle and become law-abiding
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| might not be overjoyed at the thought of
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| | citizens, but the truth is that we
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| his daughter's youth group being
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| | haven't had all that many success
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| overtaken by ageing alcoholic men.
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| | stories, and in my opinion, we mustn't
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| I wonder if we would send our kids along
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| | let the significance of our work be
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| to a youth group that Jesus was running?
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| | determined by the number of success
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| Of course we might assume that the
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| | stories we've had either.
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| no-hopers who hung around Jesus, once
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| | Somebody once said to me that priests and
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| they were in His company, all behaved
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| | social workers are just glorified
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| like respectable middle-class citizens.
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| | prostitutes. They'll give themselves body
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| Frankly, I doubt it.
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| | and soul to help someone, but they charge
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| I imagine that, given the types of
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| | a price, and the price they charge is
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| persons that huddled around Jesus, there
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| | 'change'. No change, no love!
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| would have, at the very least, been a
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| | We can't demand change, and I don't think
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| fair bit of flirting going on at those
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| | Jesus always saw change. Lots of people
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| gatherings. Maybe the occasional fight
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| | Jesus touched did change, but do we
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| would break out? Certainly there would
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| | really think that every sex-worker that
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| have been some pretty colourful language
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| | came to Jesus ended up getting a job in a
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| flying around at those parties, as you
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| | bank? I don't think so.
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| get the impression that the grog flowed
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| | The Kingdom of God is like a party! And I
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| pretty freely!
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| | figure that there are three kinds of
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| Don't forget that, unlike most of us
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| | people you can invite to a party:
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| clerical types who try to represent Jesus
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| | The people who deserve to be there
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| to the world, Jesus Himself had a
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| | (because they are just great people)
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| reputation for being glutton and a
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| | People who have earned their right to be
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| drunkard! I imagine that He got that
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| | there (because you owe them)
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| reputation from the company He kept. And
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| | The type of people Jesus invited to His
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| so the upright grumble, saying, "This man
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| | parties: missing sheep, lost coins,
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| welcomes outcasts and even eats with
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| | wayward sons
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| them!"
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| | Do all the sheep get found? Do all the
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| And Jesus hears them grumbling, and He
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| | coins turns turn up? Do all the wayward
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| tells them a story - three stories in
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| | children return home? We know they don't,
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| fact - about three parties, and each one
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| | and we can't demand it and we can't
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| is framed as a question.
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| | expect it. But when it does happen, "I
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| "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep
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| | tell you", says Jesus, "there is more joy
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| and loses one of them, what do you do?"
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| | in heaven over that one wayward child who
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| Jesus clearly intends this to be a
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| | finds her way back home than there is
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| rhetorical question, as He answers it for
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| | over all the rest of us well-behaved
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| us - "You leave the other ninety-nine
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| | children who never left!
|
