Find someone who loves you like Luke loved a parable
Advent Reading Week 4: Advent proves the love of God
As writer, Luke was obsessed with the parables, especially the ones Jesus shared about searching out what’s lost. In this Advent skit, Luke reveals that Jesus’ Advent proves the love of God.
This reading is featured in Andrew’s new book Gather for Advent, designed to help your family nurture wonder as reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.
Go to the source: Luke 15: 1-7; 8-10; Isaiah 53:6
Reading time: 1-2 mins
How to use:
Read on your own for quiet reflection
Gather your family or friends at the table or in the living room. Have a candle ready to light. Reflect on the story and scripture together.
Reading
Luke: When I wrote my Gospel, I was mindful of the writings from Isaiah. The words from that towering prophet were always before me. How all of us like simple sheep have gone astray.
I read through that famous passage of Isaiah’s again and again after I heard the story from some of the original disciples about a parable Jesus told.
You know the one? The shepherd, who goes to look for that one sheep though he has the 99 others in the fold.
The shepherd could not sleep, could not eat, could not go about any of his other important business until he went and rescued the one.
The story of that one sheep grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go!
If sheep analogies aren’t your thing, then maybe you could think about a coin.
I know you don’t use physical money all that much these days. It’s all debit and credit and digital, but the coin story Jesus shared is helpful too.
You know how the story goes: A woman loses a coin and then sweeps her whole house to find it. Every nook and cranny. When she finally finds the lost coin, probably under a couch cushion, she rejoices!
Have you ever lost something small or great and felt the stress of not knowing where it is? Travel documents before a trip. A ring or some jewelry of special significance. A child in a busy market.
What relief to find what we feared lost forever! Cue the happy dance. Let up a whoop of joy!
What a mystery to consider that God understands this fear, that he might have lost us, forever in our sin. To the darkness, because we strayed.
And even more incredible, heaven is filled with the whoop of joy, a true party, whenever one lost in sin is found.
Jesus came to earth to seek and save what was lost. We were what was lost. We have been found in him.
Jesus sees our lives as treasures, more valuable than a precious lost coin. So valuable that he was willing to come to us and give his own life in exchange for all that was lost.
That is what makes Christmas so astonishing for me.
Light the candle.
Today I light the candle of Love. Jesus came to us in love to seek us out and return us to the Father. May the love of God shine brightly in your hearts this Advent season and every season of your life.
Amen.
I just shipped some hope!
There’s still time to order and ship Gather for Advent, Andrew’s new book of poems and stories designed for busy families. Stuff a stocking with hope, or gift wrap some wonder and put it under the tree!