God has more children than you imagine

Those following Sanctuary First last month will know from our studies in the book of Acts, that it was the persecution of the first Christians that became the catalyst for them to change from simply being witnesses of the resurrection to becoming world changers. The persecution scattered them beyond Jerusalem and fulfilled the command of Jesus to be witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth. It was said of them that they had turned the world upside down as they pointed a generation to a new way of living. This month once again we engage with the writings of Luke. Only this time we are going to concentrate on five parables of Jesus that Luke recalls in his Gospel. We want to show how these five parables open up the core themes that the early Christians believed to be central and significant as they witnessed to both Jew and Gentile. As we reflect upon some of these issues I’m certain that we will begin to see parallels with our own 21 century culture. These five parables have much to say to a world that is searching for a greater sense of purpose and meaning. This week the news has broken that a Russian billionaire will be donating 100 million dollars in search of life beyond this planet. In doing so he hopes to help humanity discover its true place in the universe. In these five parables Jesus teaches us about humility, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and that we must not worship the god of materialism. Above all he teaches us more about the nature and character of God. All of this is important for us to reflect upon at a time when our world is being torn apart by religious and secular extremists. While some are being tempted by our western culture to worship at the alter of materialism, others are being recruited to fight on the side of an equally dangerous fanaticism that centres around land and power. Further it seeks to speak for God demanding its followers to bring judgement through violence and terror on a corrupt western world. These parables will help us to begin to see the futility of the human predicament and God’s gracious solution to redeem and reconcile a lost humanity in search of meaning and in need of reconciliation and tolerance and above all redemption