Last Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King, as preacher I had a choice of gospel lessons. I chose to preach on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem in Luke. I’m sure everyone who heard me knew the rest of that story. In Lent this year, I figured out—after all these years—that the Parable of the Prodigal Son doesn’t stand alone—it’s the concluding story of Jesus speaking to a group of Pharisees. The group is judging Jesus about being among sinners and eating with them. Jesus then speaks first of a lost sheep, then of a lost coin, finally of a lost child.[1] So since the end of March, when I look at a gospel lesson, I try to make sure that the appointed lesson doesn’t obscure the evangelist’s purpose in retelling a story about Jesus. So this morning I’m going to begin where today’s gospel lesson begins.
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