I'm visiting, again, the story of Jonah. And similarities have been pointed out to me between that, and the parable of the Prodigal Son. There is a recurring theme - Jesus points to it again when he speaks of the Tax Collector (sinner) and Pharisee (strongly religious) praying in the temple. It's repeated often enough that it's obvious God is trying hard to tell us something!
And I think it is this. It's easy to get caught in the trap of believing that your religious life makes you safely "God's". That the ones who are "lost" are obviously the ones who have chosen a lifestyle of moral poverty. If you're doing all the things God asks, then you're "saved", right???
But God says not to get sucked into that thinking. The Jonah of the second half of the story, the older brother of the Prodigal Son, and the Pharisee, all represent those who follow the rules and do things "God's way". The scary thing is - while the first half Jonah, the Prodigal Son, and the Tax Collector were all aware of their failings (after all, they were obvious!), and realised they needed to come to God to be saved, the second three characters were totally unaware that they needed God for anything! They were totally self-righteous and judgemental! And lacking in understanding of what God in his great compassion, was doing. They too were "lost"! They just didn't know it!!!
Which do you think God has a better chance of reaching....?
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