"For the Son of Man came to seek and save who are lost." (Lk. 19:10). These are the words of the Lord to us. According to the apostle to the Gentiles, he is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." (Col. 1:15). Because he is the image of the invisible God, he revealed Him before us. The revelation of the Father does not merely constitute the physical countenance of Jesus Christ as he became man. Beyond his incarnation, we are moved also to the countenance of the merciful God.
Faith that reaches out, hope that redeems and love that heals.
Faith is a gift and also a mission. But before we come to the subject of faith, we must discern what constitutes it. What is faith and when does it becomes truly alive? A Jewish
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In The Gospel of Luke, we read the parable of the prodigal son. It signifies the longing of God to embrace us. Bh His mercy fueled by constant love, He enters the human heart. Then it becomes a journey. In the parable of the lost coin, it tells us about God's joy when He finds us. In the parable of the lost sheep, it narrates the story of a shepherd who leaves his flock so he may find the one which is lost. In the eyes of man, the lost ones may not be valuable. But in the eyes of God, they belong to Him. This is mercy. Everyone belongs to God and no one is forgotten. All of these parables ended in profound joy and momentous …show more content…
It is what keeps history and mankind whole and in harmony. When he was questioned that he shares table with sinners, he recalled the words of the prophet Hosea: "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:13). By visiting the house of a tax collector named Zacchaeus, people were scandalized that he was eating with public sinners. Here, Jesus reiterates the essence of his mission: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10). Jesus thus resounds the words of the Father: "You are mine." (Isaiah 43:1). "How can I give you up?" (Hosea 11:8). The joy and feasts that ended these parables manifest what mercy is. God does not alienate everyone. He opens His arms wide. He enters the human heart. Then it becomes a joyful journey, a pilgrimage of the heart where God truly