Scripture:‘What woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.” Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’ (Luke 15.8-10)ReflectionThe self-righteous folk of Jesus’ time were typical of most of us in every age, I fear. It’s only in a religious context that people use the word ‘sinner’, but everyone has an acute sense of right and wrong, and that can make us swift to condemn others for their failures (= sins) and to reckon that they must pay the price.Jesus’ answer to those who said he should not talk or socialise with bad folk, ‘sinners’, was to stress God’s hope for a change of heart, ‘repentance’, by speaking of the joy of the angels over even and every one who came to see the light.Am I totally on the side of the angels?David Harmsworth
Scripture:He turned to them and said: … 'Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” ' (Luke 14.25-30)ReflectionHas it ever occurred to you that following Jesus might have consequences? Jesus knows this, and he wants his followers to be aware of it too. Not because he wants to scare us off, but by becoming a disciple we are entering into a process of transformation, where our values change and our priorities shift away from the mainstream. This can be costly in all sorts of ways…are we prepared to ‘carry this cross’ and follow where Jesus leads us? Revd Ylva
