God's Celebration

Most of us are familiar with the "Parable of the Prodigal Son". It is often used as a basis for sharing the good news that God loves us and welcomes home the returning prodigal. This interpretation is only partly correct. This parable is one of three that Jesus tells in answer to the criticism levelled at Jesus by some of his contemporaries, namely “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them”  (Lk 15:2). Each of these parables has a common theme of celebration. The woman who lost a coin, the shepherd who lost a sheep, and the father who lost a son celebrate the finding of that which was lost. God's celebrates the saving of a lost person. Jesus association with sinners was not acquiescing in their behaviour (then Jesus would be a perveyor of cheap grace), but was an invitation for them to join in God's celebration over their repentance. Unfortunately many of Jesus's contemporaries saw no need to repent, but some did (mostly those seen as unfit for the Kingdom of God). The questions for us are: are we amongst those over whom God celebrates? and, are we like Jesus, willing to be with those who will respond to the message of God's costly grace?