Moving from intellectual comprehension to emotional awareness of God's love.
In the introductory lesson, I explained that this course emphasizes God's pursuit of us, rather than our efforts to find God. God invites us to participate in His story, rather than fitting into ours.
Our journey began with a shift in perspective. But God's work goes beyond the intellect, reaching our hearts and emotions. In this lesson, we will explore how God sees you, cares for you, and invites you into friendship.
**The difference between intellectual comprehension and emotional awareness is the difference between getting an "A" on a theology exam and experiencing God for ourselves.**
But perhaps the delight of getting an A in class doesn't awaken your senses. Let's try again. Imagine coming with me to my favorite pizza place. Can you feel the anticipation as we wait for a pizza weighed down with pepperoni, mushroom, and spinach toppings to come to the table? There's a whisper of olive oil and fresh basil. The cheese is decadent, melty, oozing everywhere. Your stomach growls as you anticipate the gentle nuttiness of the fire-blackened crust. Who goes home to rave about the menu? We talk about the meal!
Understanding God's character and purposes is essential. Experiencing His presence is the ultimate goal. Just as our minds may doubt God's existence, our hearts can resist His love.
Jesus uses stories to awaken our hearts. His parables connect us with various characters, developing our imagination and prompting self-reflection. In Luke 15, Jesus faces a crisis. The religious leaders are upset that he was welcoming and befriending sinners. In response, Jesus tells three stories about seeking what is lost.
First, a shepherd who is missing one of his hundred sheep leaves the ninety-nine to find the lost one. Second, a poor woman searches her house until she locates a lost coin. Finally, a disobedient son returns home, and his father runs to embrace him.
These stories emphasize the value of those who are lost and the joy that comes from their return to God. Jesus challenges the religious leaders to choose between rejoicing in redemption or casting judgment on those who don't meet their standards.
**So where do you see yourself in these stories?**
Are you self-assured, confident that you've pleased God? Or are you more like a sheep with no idea where to find the shepherd? A dirty coin that can't lift yourself out of the slats on the floor? A disgraced son that can't imagine your heavenly Father would have anything to do with you?
God is on an uncommon pursuit. With kindness and care, he invites us to come home and celebrate that we are together. How is your heart responding to his love?
So he told them this parable: "What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!' I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don't need repentance."
In what ways does your heart resist God's love? What specific emotions do you feel?
How has God made you aware of His love? What experiences have revealed his loving care of you?
What, if anything, do you feel when you consider God's delight in you?
Jesus, thank you for coming to seek and to save the lost - including me!
Which character in the parables of Luke 15 do you most identify with? Journal about why.
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