Listen

All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Jesus told them this parable:

“A certain man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the inheritance.’ Then the father divided his estate between them. Soon afterward, the younger son gathered everything together and took a trip to a land far away. There, he wasted his wealth through extravagant living.”

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-13

Think

Who knows your story and the stories you tell? Sharing of stories is sacred. Stories captivate us and bring out our emotions. Stories also expose us and can alter the way we think.

The Pharisees were upset with Jesus’ friendliness. He not only shared meals with outsiders and outcasts – he accepted them. So, Jesus told the religious leaders a story, understanding just how influential parables would be as he pressed people to change their hearts and minds. Those who refused to listen to the story of the younger son leaving home and what happened to him, missed the message that Jesus had to offer.

The message delivered then is what Jesus is sharing with you now. Jesus offers the truth that will lead to upside-down living and thinking. Will you grumble, or will you listen?

Jessalyn Brown

Pray

God,

I see your friendliness in the ways you speak to me. Give me a heart that is open to your words and a mind that listens to what you say. I want to see differently.

Amen.

Go

As the day flows and your mind goes, may your thinking mirror God’s.