Through Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God came in an invisible reality in the heart, but still in a tangible way so that anyone can enter it. However, at the end of time, the Kingdom will come visibly and surprise many. Life will go on as usual until the final destruction will be upon the wicked, as in the days of Noah or Lot. Now is the time to invite King Jesus into the heart so that He can make His dwelling place and abide forever.

Beyond being a mighty miracle, the story of the ten lepers is about the human suffering that brings us together and makes us cry with one voice. From the beginning to the end of the story, there is a noticeable line of separation between the Samaritans and the Jews. The shared pain and challenges of life often blur this line. Does God allow pain and suffering to bring us closer to each other? Join us in exploring God’s plan to heal us gradually or in stages until we are completely whole.

In this episode, Caiaphas, the high priest of the Jews, tries to kill Jesus Christ in order to save the nation. While being a corrupted leader, God uses him to utter one of the most unexpected prophecies in the Bible: “It is better that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” This raises the question, can God use anyone to accomplish His purposes? In what condition can God use a person? Is the gift of prophecy a seal of approval? Join us in searching together for these answers.

The resurrection of Lazarus is one of those miracles meant to be signs of Jesus’ divinity. The manifestation of the glory of God was beyond the miracle of resurrection; it was a revelation of who Jesus was and His close relationship with His Father. Like Martha and Mary, we may think sometimes our prayers are unanswered, and our desires are not fulfilled. But even some of God’s desires will never be fulfilled. In our journey to spiritual maturity, we learn to trust God anyway!

This event has three parts, and it is structured as a sandwich. The middle part, the filling, is the prayer to increase our faith. We need faith to avoid temptation or be a channel of temptation for others. Also, we need faith to rebuke a sinning brother and forgive him when he repents. Out of faith, naturally, we return to God our service as a labor of love, not to gain favor or points to buy eternal life. We receive salvation by faith and live it daily by faith.  

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a logical continuation of the previous parable in the same chapter, as an example of the mismanagement of resources entrusted to us to help others. Also, this parable follows the pattern of the first one, as a real story with a fictional twist. The second part of the story has many conflicting details that don’t align with God’s character in Scripture and Jesus’ teaching about death as sleep. The main point of this parable, as explained by Jesus Himself, is that the foundation of our salvation is the Scripture. No miracle, even a hypothetical resurrection from death, will produce repentance and transform the character. That transformation starts from the inside out and is worked by the Holy Spirit.

The parable of the dishonest manager is one of the most difficult to understand. The first part is a real story. The rich man reacts appropriately, firing the dishonest manager. In the second part, Jesus becomes more creative. The rich owner commends the dishonest manager for his dishonesty. In both sections of the parable, the manager represents the Jewish people, who received many spiritual treasures from God to share with nearby nations. The Lord Jesus is the same Lord God who brought them out of Egypt, gave them the Sanctuary, and established a missional covenant with them. Now, it was time for them to give account for their stewardship.

The third parable in the trilogy of Luke 15 continues the crescendo of the lost value and takes it to the highest point: both sons are lost. This story does not have a happy ending like the previous two parables. Jesus leaves the door open for the Jewish leaders, who are represented by the older son. God’s love for all people is very well portrayed by the father, who is happy for the return of the young and implores the older to come inside and share the joy. God seeks the lost sheep, searches for the lost coin, and works to reconcile the lost and found sons.

The parable of the lost coin is about those who don’t realize they are lost, even if they are in God’s house. A coin is lost when it is not in the place intended by the owner. In the same way, when we profess to follow Christ, He assigns a place for each of us. Do we know that place, role, or responsibility? If yes, are we happy with that assignment? Are we diligently fulfilling the purpose for which God calls us?

In the parable of the lost sheep, the first in the trilogy of Luke 15, Jesus invites us to look at each other - across the table or the aisle - and see how much God loves everyone. God sees such a great value in each one of us that He gave His only Son to die for us. Sometimes, Christians who consider themselves in the fold think that God wastes too much love for those sinners out there. But there is a great joy in heaven for every one of them! This parable invites us to share that joy and explains why we should do it.