As Timothy Keller continues Chapter 1 of The Prodigal God, he notes that when the parable of The Two Lost Sons is taught, throughout the centuries the almost exclusive focus has been on the father’s unequivocal welcome of his penitent younger son. However, Pastor Keller posits that to focus on the younger son is to sentimentalize the parable. He states that “Jesus is pleading not so much with immoral outsiders as with moral insiders.” Jesus wants the moral insiders to see how their behavior is destroying not only their own souls but also the lives of the people around them.
Jesus’s purpose, Pastor Keller states, is “not to warm our hearts but to shatter our categories.” Both the younger and elder sons, the irreligious and the religious, are spiritually lost. Their life paths are dead ends, unable to connect to God. In order for us to connect to God, we must declare the same message that Jesus did. As we are on our healing journey to a renewed calling during our desert, transition time, we have a marvelous opportunity to draw others to Jesus as we witness to his providence, grace, and steadfast love.
Today’s question: What witnessing opportunities have you had during your transitional time? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the latest addition to the Annotated Bibliography, Who is This Man? by John Ortberg
