Text: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 (Joshua 5:9-12; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21)
There is a difference between skeptical and cynical. Skeptical is someone
who looks at something with wonder and questions. Cynical is someone who
already knows and only takes in what
supports their solidly established belief. There is way too much cynicism when it comes to the truth.
Rather than wondering and exploring questions to discover the truth, far too
much is done in protection of the truth already believed. Truth is not stagnant and unmoving. Truth is Jesus
and Jesus is alive! Our reading from Joshua is the story of the people of
Israel leaving behind their wilderness journey and beginning to settle in the
land. The danger with settling in, is that we can lose the quest for something new. Paul’s second letter to
the Corinthians speaks of the importance of perspective in this new creation. We are not to view from a human perspective, for this would be cynical. Instead, we are to view God, each other and circumstances from the perspective of God.
This can only be done through God’s revelation. Tax Collectors and Sinners were coming to listen to Jesus because they were desiring something new. Pharisees and Scribes were criticizing Jesus because they wanted to pereserve what they already knew. Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal to illustrate the difference. How do we handle the truth?