Sermon: Lost and found

Date: March 30, 2025                                                                                     text: 2 Cor. 5:16-21

Lk. 15:1-3a; 11-32

Lost and found, Broken and restored (video)

I. The parable of Prodigal Son is so familiar:

Rembrandt, “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” painting 1669. 

Tarkovsky, Movie “Solaris,” 1972.

Even “AChristmas Carol” by Charles Dickens (1843).

It is so familiar that I might need to un-teach some:

It is NOT about the son, any son: younger or older

It is NOT about Jew-Gentile relationship

What is it about? Great love of the Father!  

 

II. A-B-C of Father’s love:

A. Acceptance of younger son’s dumb decision

B. Bold reconciliation – running, forgiving, and reinstalling him as a son

C. Clear reminder to the older son that he is LOVED.

 

III. Take away:

He receives ALL of us (older brothers and younger ones) – for we are miserable sinners, notice the prayer of Confession: We are sinful and unclean. For He became SIN for us, 2 Cor. 5:21. 

When God receives us – sinners – He receives us with great joy, songs, and feast! Isaiah 12:5-6   

ROMANS: RIGHTEOUSNESS and LAW

Righteousness and Law  

Passage: Romans 3:1-31

Structure:

a. 3:1-4, What is an advantage to be a Jew, oracles of God

  b. 3:5-8, Righteousness of God

    c. 3:9-18, List of witnesses, Scriptures

    c’. 3:19-20, under the Law  

  b’. 3:21-26, Righteousness of God  

a’. 3:27-31, What becomes of our boasting? Law of faith.        

 

Commentary:

Advantage to be a Jew – to begin with, oracles of God. Later, St. Paul comes up with a list of 8 elements (9:4-5).  

All quotes but one (3:15-17) are coming from Psalter – why?

Jews and Greeks are under the sin – list of witnesses from Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah (vv. 9-18).

 

3 juxtapositions:

Unfaithfulness of men vs. faithfulness of God (vv. 3-4)

Our unrighteousness vs. Righteousness of God (vv. 5-8). Righteousness of God is discussed in 1:17. Then, 3:21-26.

Law of works vs. law of faith (vv. 27-31). 

ROMANS: The RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT of GOD

The righteous judgement of God  

Passage: Rom. 2:1-16

Structure:

a. 2:1-5, the day of God’s judgement

  b. 2:6, who will repay to everyone

    c. 2:7, patiently doing good

      d. 2:8, wickedness

      d’. 2:9, everyone who does evil

    c’. 2:10, everyone who does good

  b’. 2:11, there is no partiality with God

a’. 2:12-16, the day of God’s judgement   

Important terms and concepts:

Why suddenly, “out of the blue,” St. Paul shifts from third person plural (they, them) to second person singular (thou/you)? Later, the apostle will use first person plural (“we”, ch. 6:1 “are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”). I think he does it to bring his listeners/readers into a conversation. His letter is not a “conference paper” nor it is a private correspondence between Paul and unknow “man” (2:1, 3). It is a “written sermon” that should’ve been read aloud in front of the whole congregation (cp. Rev. 1:3).