“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:26

“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man 

has no place to lay his head.”

Luke 9:57​​

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” 

Matthew 13:13

Jesus used parables to confront people’s default settings.

God inspired writers to include them in the Bible to confront our default settings

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”

Luke 15:13​​

 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father 

went out and pleaded with him. . .”

Luke 15:28​​

“But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’”

Luke 15:29-30

The father saw the younger son when he was a long distance off –  because he was looking and hoping for him.

The father saw the older son wasn’t at the party – because he was looking and hoping for him.

God doesn’t hold tightly to mercy and forgiveness He looks for ways to dole it out every day, everywhere.

We are quick to explain when it is our issue - but slow to let go when it is someONE else

Your mercy and forgiveness cost Jesus just as much as anyone else’s

Check up:

1. When you see someone - is their wrong/sin the first thing you think about?
2. Do you find yourself thinking, "I know I'm not perfect but..."?
3. How often is your compassion out running your judgement?