Luke 13:22-15:32

After three years of ministering in the northern region of Galilee, Jesus begins an extended journey towards Jerusalem, where He has an appointment with the cross.  This is reported in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, where Jesus gradually makes His way towards Jerusalem, preaching in many cities has they go, but He again tells people that it is there that He will be killed.

In one such town Jesus is invited to dinner at the house of a prominent Pharisee on the Sabbath, and He heals a man who was severely afflicted.  He proves to them that it is right to do good things on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees there were unable to answer Him.  Jesus also observed how people were jockeying for the better seats at the dinner, and He said that it is better for us to not self-promote, but to let others promote us from a lower place.  He also told everyone to do good, and invite people who cannot repay the kindness, unlike most of the people He was observing at the dinner.  Jesus then told a parable of a great man who threw a huge dinner party, and invited many people, but all of those people disrespected him by being too busy to attend.  That man, or king, then invited anyone from the streets who would come, and this story represented the invitation of God to His people, who uniformly rejected Him.

Jesus tells many different stories, which all relate to the Kingdom of God, and then tells the familiar story of the Prodigal Son.  This story provides a great picture of the Father’s love for all of His sons, and how He is quick to forgive and restore any who return to Him in repentance.  God is the same, Who is always willing to forgive, and give many chances for repentance to those who walked away from Him.