Showing Grace

Showing Grace

Bible: Luke 15:11-32

Reading

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 round him
and kissed him (V.20).

I love the story Jesus told about the lost sons (LUKE 15:11-24). The younger son messes up, big time. He wastes all of his dad’s money and comes home as a dirty, smelly, good-for-nothing beggar. Most people would have crossed the street to avoid him. But his dad, who he hurt the most, saw him coming back home and “ran to his son, threw his arms round him and kissed him” (V.20). Then a party broke out to celebrate (V.23)!

In the Old Testament, there were laws to guard God’s people from touching anything unclean. If they touched dead bodies, certain animals or even anyone who was ill, they would also become unclean, and had to go through certain rituals to become clean and acceptable to God again. But Jesus changed all this. He made the unclean whole and healthy again (SEE MATTHEW 8:3). That’s the point of the story of the son too. His dad should have turned him away as unclean. Instead he hugged him and made him whole again (V.22).

The Old Testament laws are there to make it clear that the unclean and clean cannot mix. Our messy lives and thoughts will never match God’s perfection. But Jesus shows that He can change all that. He makes the unclean clean again. Because of God’s great grace (the love and generosity He shows us even though we don’t deserve it), we can live out Jesus’ welcome too. We can invite others, whoever they are and however messy they feel, to come and meet Him—just as they are. Like Jesus, we can also help make the ‘unclean’ clean.

NO ONE IS OUTSIDE THE REACH OF GOD’S GRACE.

Youth Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries