Bad People

Today’s sermon is called “Bad People” because all the bad people crowding around Jesus Christ when He taught troubled spiritual and moral folks… And not only was Jesus permitting these bad people to listen to His speeches, He was apparently encouraging it…"This man receives (welcomes) sinners and eats with them." That was, to the good folks a tacit approval of their bad lifestyles.

The chapter is a description of this problem (vv. 1-2) and then a three-fold answer to the problem: three parables (a lost sheep is found, a lost coin is found and a lost son is found) and the logical result is to be happy and to invite others to celebrate with you.

The third story is the focus of today’s sermon. You’re familiar with it but there’s always something NEW to see here… It compresses the main idea of Christianity…and it does it in a way that’s been the basis of many stories/plays because there’s something universal here: the longing to be home, to be admitted, welcomed, celebrated… AND…what we may NOT have seen is another universal theme i.e. our tendency to want bad people to have consequences …to get what they deserve…and therefore we may stand aloof and may not receive/welcome them.

Which character are YOU in this Parable of the Wasteful Sons and Their Wasteful Father?

1. The Younger Son
2. The Older Son
3. The Father
4. The Other Character