Gospel for September 11 2022 – Luke 15 : 1-32
Gospel Reflections for September 11 2022
…there’s something wrong here!
Jesus tells three slightly wrong parables in a row in this Gospel about God’s mercy and so the crowd must have been even more curious …why would Our Lord do that?
Yet these three parables of the Lost Coins, the Lost Sheep, and the Prodigal Son are some of the most beloved stories today. What’s going on?
When Jesus spoke parables He deliberately included features that would not have made sense to people then. That made His parables stand out and so more deeply engage their minds in unexpected ways.
For example, when Jesus describes a shepherd going after a lost sheep the crowd would think, “Wait! There’s something wrong here …sheep never get lost!” They knew sheep are the most timid of animals and always stay close to the shepherd. If a sheep ever did get lost, well, there must be something wrong with it …and certainly not worth rescuing. In fact, you would never want a crazy sheep like that back in your flock!
If a shepherd ever went after a sheep lost in the wilderness and carried it back, other people seeing him (and knowing that sheep never get lost) would assume that he stole it from another flock, and the penalty for stealing sheep was death.
Jesus presents a parable that is very counter-cultural to the people at that time. Yet He affirms He is willing to go after a lost and wandering sheep that no one else would ever want …and even risk His life in doing so. This is a remarkable shepherd!
Jesus courageously seeks us …and always and wants us back in His flock no matter how crazy, sinful, or wandering we may have been. He is even willing to die for us, as the crucifix in almost every Church affirms. The cross reveals just how passionate Our Lord is about His desire for us to find the lasting happiness that can only come from Him …and never from straying from His flock.
We may have turned against Our Lord but He will never turn against us. We may have abandoned Him at times, but He will never abandon us. We may have done crazy things in our past, but Our Lord is always willing to forgive and help us move forward.
How lucky we are to have a Shepherd such as this!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Being a proclaimer it starts off with the first Reading from Genesis with God being ticked off at the People He has Rescued from Egypt worshiping false Idols and Moses negotiating a peaceful resolution.
The Gospel picks up the care and Love God has for less than perfect people which we all tend to be. Jesus is not afraid to be seen associating with Sinners. He has come to show us the way to Great Lives and the Path to Eternal Salvation .
Each day with the Readings and Gospel of Mass , the Way becomes more Obvious..
Yes, you right in that reading the scriptures and especially daily Mass bring home the enduring love God has for us.
We are so beautifully Blessed with our precious Shepherd filled with forgiveness and loveeeeeeeeeee!!! Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeour precious Jesus and our precious Faith!!! We all our truly blessed and thank you father Dave for being a beautiful Shepherd to us!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, franca and Dick
Thank you!
Gods Love Is Crazy 😍
Yes, God is crazy in love with us!