The Prodigal Son

March 5, 2023 Background Scripture: Luke 15:11 - 32 Lesson Passage: Luke 15:11 - 24 Luke 15 is always an interesting study for me. It details Jesus' masterful use of parables as a teaching tool. It is sometimes viewed as a short narrative followed by three parables. Chapter 15 is indeed a short narrative, but it is followed by one parable cleverly delivered as three. As tax collectors and sinners gathered around Jesus to hear Him speak, the Jewish religious leaders, Pharisees and scribes, complained about Jesus' fellowshipping with sinners. Jesus used the parable to teach and respond to their complaints. The lost sheep represents those who wander away rather than remain with their flock. This is descriptive of the tax collectors and sinners who strayed from Judaism but were being recovered by Jesus. The coin that was lost in the house represents those who remained in Judaism but were nevertheless lost because they were blind to the ways of God. The parable of the prodigal, or wasteful, son is a combination of the sheep and coin parables. After the father divided his livelihood between his two sons, the younger son strayed from the house and wasted his share. It was only when the younger son returned home that we could see the spiritual condition of the older son who remained at home. After the younger son wasted his inheritance, he could see the love and provisions of his father. He recognized that he was better being a servant of his father than trying to survive on his own. So, he returned home to apologize to his father and to ask to become his servant. The father graciously received the younger son and celebrated his return home. When the older son, who never left home, discovered what had happened, he became angry. He refused to join the celebration with the rest of the household. Therefore, his father went out and pleaded with him. He complained that his father was celebrating a backslider but had never celebrated with him. The father showed as much love to the older son as he had to the younger. He reminded the older son that everything there belonged to him. Before the younger son left home, the father divided everything between the two of them. Whatever the younger son did not carry away and squander, it belonged to the older son. The father was there as an example for the older son. The father had the fattened calf there for hosting a celebration. He was demonstrating for the older son when and what to celebrate. The older son never left home, but he was lost in the house—like the coin. The prodigal son learned the lesson of grace. Even when we make bad decisions and have hit rock bottom because of it, the grace of God is still available for the soul who repents and turns to Him. God graciously welcomes repentant souls back into fellowship with Him. Unfortunately, sometimes the ones who have never strayed are in worse spiritual condition than those who have fallen away and returned. Jesus cleverly dealt with two things in the parable. First, God's attitude towards sinners who repent and return to Him is that of acceptance and celebration. God also demonstrates love and patience towards the self-righteous who see themselves as judges of the sins of others. Whether one strayed from the faith into sin or remained religiously involved, there is a need for all to repent and turn to God in faith. Some have strayed and hit spiritual rock bottom and repented and turned to God. Some have not strayed but have failed to learn the lesson of love and compassion for repentant souls. Between tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees, and scribes, Jesus covered them all in the parable of the prodigal son. Robert C. Hudson February 16, 2023

Results of the Call

February 26, 2023 Background Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1 25 Lesson Passage: 1 Peter 2:1 -10 The ultimate call of Christians is the invitation extended by Jesus, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." There is nothing beyond this invitation that is better. No improvements can be made to it. Peter's letter helps us, as Christians, to understand the implications of accepting Jesus' invitation. What Jesus refers to as His yoke is central to the invitation. A physical yoke is a simple farm implement that allows two beasts of burden to share in pulling some type of load. The yoke can also be used to train an inexperienced animal by physically connecting it to an experienced animal. The experienced animal will respond to the farmer's directions and the inexperienced animal would be forced to follow because of the yoke. It is this latter use of the yoke that Jesus referenced. Christians are called into a life of holiness. God does not save us for us to continue to live as we did while unsaved. The Apostle Paul asked the question: "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" Clearly God expects holiness of all who are saved. We have been saved from the penalty of sin, and yet we still recognize sin's presence within our flesh. God's solution to our dilemma is twofold. First, we have the indwelling Spirit of Christ in us to guide us. Secondly, we have the example of the life of Christ as our pattern. We won't get to where we need to be spiritually with a made-up mind. We need a submissive spirit to the will of the indwelling Spirit of Christ. As we submit to the will of the Spirit, God's desire for us is always made clear. This is not enough to help us who are inexperienced at holy living. That's where the example of Jesus Christ comes in. As Peter wrote, Jesus left us the example of how to live holy. Taking Jesus' yoke upon us allows us to follow the lead of the One experienced in holy living. Jesus' invitation has some wonderful promises included. Jesus said His yoke is easy. It is easier to follow the example of Jesus than it is to try to figure it out on our own. Jesus also said that He is gentle and lowly in heart. This informs us as to the attitude we ought to have as we face trials in life. Jesus is that way because He put His soul in the Father's hands. Jesus accepted whatever outcome pleased God the Father. Jesus had an attitude of submission and it pleased God. Although yokes are designed to share burdens, Jesus said we would find rest for our souls when we are yoked with Him. That rest sounds like a peaceful night of sleep. That rest sounds like living a worry-free life. And it's not complicated because Jesus said His yoke is easy. We slip the yoke of Jesus on, let Him guide us, and He said it is easy. Jesus went on to say that His burden is light. Life can be hard, and problems can seem too much to bear. Trying to live holy makes life even harder and more burdensome. Peter wrote that God has called us into His holiness as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own special people. That's a tall order to fill, but Jesus is available to lighten our load. When we accept Jesus' invitation, which includes His yoke, we can be what God called us to be. The results of the call will be that our conduct will cause others to glorify God. Robert C. Hudson February 11, 2023

Responsibility of Those Called

February 19, 2023 Background Scripture: James 2:1 -12 Lesson Passage: James 2:1 12 James wrote this letter to the Jewish Christians who were scattered away from Jerusalem as they fled the persecution against Christians. James wrote some very frank statements in his letter. He provided supporting scriptures with many of those statements. As Jewish Christians, the recipients would have been familiar with those scriptures. Even without the supporting scriptures, James wrote as an anointed authority figure of the first century Christian church. One of the situations James highlighted within the Christian congregation, was the inconsistency of being a Christian and showing favoritism. He pointed out that Jesus demonstrated grace towards all Jesus did not show preference for one and not another. The ultimate demonstration of it was Jesus' death for the sins of the world; everyone was under the penalty of sin because all have sinned. Jesus' unselfish sacrificial death was for everyone—whether they were generally unknown or well-known public dignitaries. The ramifications of Jesus' death apply equally to everyone. On the other hand, favoritism treats individuals differently based on how they are perceived by the one showing preference. James suggested that this way of thinking is evident whenever someone reacts to people based on how they dress. When the Christians gathered, well-dressed people were offered better seating arrangements than those who were poorly dressed. This means that people were being judged based on their appearance. To assume that a poorly dressed person is less deserving of favor is evil. That is jumping to a conclusion about the nature of the person being judged. Only God knows what is inside of a person. Therefore, God is the only one who can properly judge people. Furthermore, poorly dressed people are often considered to be impoverished. God's view towards the poor in this world is very different than ours tend to be. Jesus pointed towards the poor having the gospel preached to them as a sign of God working in the earth. How can we judge harshly those whom God blesses highly? James declared that it is a sin to show favoritism. Showing favoritism is a response of the flesh that causes one to miss the mark of holiness. Being partial towards others violates the law of, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The Law of God defines and describes holiness. A violation of the Law of God in any point makes one guilty of violating all of it. It is through the grace of God that we are saved because our flesh rebels against the Law of God. Our rebellion against God leads to more sin. Again, to sin in any point of the Law is to be guilty of violating all of it. Holiness can only be achieved through human effort by keeping all the Law. Therefore, our flesh makes it impossible for us to achieve holiness on our own. Only through the grace of God can we be saved. If we can only be saved by God's grace because we cannot keep the entire law, who are we to judge others in any matter? Again, all have sinned and come short of God's glory. The grace of God is our spiritual liberator. Grace calls us into liberty and frees us from the law of sin and death. This grace is available to all. It is our responsibility as Christians to extend the grace of God to others. We cannot do that and judge people at the same time. Our judgment of people causes us to look down on someone we should be lifting. Showing partiality exposes our need for grace. Having received grace, it is our responsibility to walk in it. Robert C. Hudson January 30, 2023

Reminder of the Call

February 12, 2023 Background Scripture: 2 Timothy 1 :3 -14 Lesson Passage: 2 Timothy 1:3 - 14 Last week's lesson discussed the resume of the "called". In today's lesson, we look at a reminder of the call. It is not a small thing to be called of God to do the work of ministry. It is also possible to be called to a ministry and not be aware of the calling. Initially, God may choose to make others aware but not the one He has called. With encouragement and prayer, a calling of God gains clarity. This appears to be the case with Timothy. Timothy was a young biracial Christian who was mentored by Paul. Timothy's mother was a Jewish Christian, and his father was Grecian. Paul met Timothy at Lystra during his second missionary journey. Apparently, Timothy's upbringing was not in the Jewish faith because he had not been circumcised at the time Paul met him. (Normally, circumcision would have taken place for a Jewish boy when he was eight days old.) Paul knew about the religious faith of Timothy's mother and his grandmother. At some point, Paul prayed for Timothy and laid hands on him to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminded Timothy of this in this second letter Paul addressed to him. Paul challenged Timothy to not forget the calling God had on his life. He was called by God before time began and was not called based on anything Timothy had done. This is a reminder for all who are called of God. God called us before time began. Because of this, we can't celebrate a specific date when we were called, but instead we celebrate the date when we became aware that we were called. God does all things well. God's calling was according to His own purpose for Timothy. This happened an eternity before Timothy was even born. Therefore, Timothy's calling was not about him but God working His divine purpose through Timothy. It was imperative for Timothy to understand that and not neglect his assignment. Paul encouraged him to fully embrace his calling and to not be ashamed of it. Paul considered himself to be an example for Timothy to follow in his minist1Y for Jesus Christ. There's no doubt that this was also to Paul's benefit. Paul would remain strong and encouraged because he knew that his life and ministry were on display for a young man like Timothy to emulate. Even Paul's oral presentation of the gospel was subject to scrutiny. Paul's speech had to serve as an example for Timothy. Consequently, Paul used sound words when he taught and preached. Paul's many testimonies reveal that he had a robust prayer life. Paul depended on the aid and guidance of the Holy Spirit as he ministered to others. Timothy's calling was a good thing and Paul challenged him to lean on the Holy Spirit to help him stay faithful to his minist1Y. Paul's advice and his example would have meant nothing if Timothy had failed to embrace his calling of God. Ministry is difficult at times. All opposition to the ministry is not external. Our flesh fights against the things of God—including our own calling. Life sometimes feels easier when our flesh leads the way. But that is not profitable for us. Having a mentor to encourage and challenge us can be essential to living up to the calling of God on our lives. This what Timothy had in Paul. Many believe that this letter was the last one Paul wrote. How appropriate that Paul focused on encouraging his protégé and reminding him of his divine calling. Robert C. Hudson January 23, 2023

Resume of Those Called

February 5, 2023 Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1: 18 - 31 Lesson Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18 - 31 Sometimes the greatest challenge for a Christian worker is getting over themselves. The environment we live in tends to condition us to acquire assets or skills that make us feel secure in the positions we are placed in to serve and work. Put another way, we feel more secure in some jobs/assignments if we happen to have college degrees in the field in which we work. We feel even better about ourselves if we also have relevant work experience in that field. Personal identification, contact information, credentials, and work experience comprise the total of what we put on a resume. We believe a resume presents us as suitable for the assignment, and it defends us against our critics. As common as this might be, it stands in complete contrast to what Paul wrote about the qualifications of Christians who serve in ministry. Note that Paul was not just writing about preachers, or proclaimers, of the gospel message, but rather, Christian workers in general. Paul's argument is based on examining those called by God to do the work of ministry. Paul's summary is that not many of the people called by God are worldly wise, are in positions of worldly influence, or have royal positions or titles. Paul did not write that none of them were called; he only mentioned that there were "not many" called with those credentials. Then Paul explained the rationale for why God does it. The Spirit of Christ works through minist1'Y to bless us in this world. We should not be confused about where our help comes from. We observe and hear people and we don't always consider that people are instruments of God. If the people we observe and hear readily take credit for the outcome, we are not likely to associate the work of ministry with God—other than that God happened to have selected the right person to get the job done! That is human pride, and it dares to exalt itself against both the knowledge and acknowledgment of God's work in our lives. If we fail to examine ourselves, not only will others be misled, but we might start to believe our own press. God's solution to both is to use people who are woefully unqualified to do what God assigns to us. Therefore, we are effective in ministry when we totally depend on God to work through us and we rejoice when we declare, "God did it!" We try hard to keep others from fraudulently ascribing to us the results that only God can deliver. Much of ministry can be summarized as relentlessly pointing others to Christ over and over again. And this is not just for the answers they need, but also for them to praise Him for the blessings they receive. Only God would take a prophet who appears to be homeless and send him to the palace to rebuke the king. God is the giver and sustainer of life. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights." Every good thing in this life has its origin in God. God alone deserves all the praise and glory. We are His servants who have been saved by His grace. We have not been called because we have something to offer God. God has chosen to use us despite ourselves. It is our responsibility to help others to see what God has shown us. There is nothing on our resume that can save us from eternal damnation. What we have on our worldly resume might help us to relate better to others, but God does not need it to accomplish His will through us, We have nothing to boast about, and we can help others by informing them that all praise should go to God in all things. Robert C. Hudson January 23, 2023