Responsibility:  I heard a radio preacher talk about the matter of responsibility.  He suggested three ways the word is used: as credit, blame, or duty.  Take the sentence, “She is responsible for this meal.”  As credit, it means she is a good cook.  As blame, it means she is a bad cook.  As duty, it means she has no choice.  But the preacher further suggested a fourth way.  He saw the combination of two words here: response and ability.  That is, the responsible person is one who has the ability to respond.  Seeing our lives, filled with both good and bad, lean and plenty, the responsible person recognizes God’s gracious gifts — and has the ability to respond!  I like that.  (Lee McGlone)

That thought brings us to this week’s passage.  Luke 15 contains 3 parables.  Each one about something that was lost and what happens when it is found.  We will consider the first two for the sermon Sunday, and the third one, the best known one, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, will have to be considered at another time.

Thinking about the discussion of “Responsibility,” what is your responsibility for the lost things?  Are you searching?  Are you finding?  Or did you cause the thing to get lost?  Though this is the work of God’s Kingdom, it shows that we have an active responsibility in the outworking and good news telling of the Kingdom.

Pastor Greg