Chris Gnanakan

Jesus’ response to the Pharisee’s criticism of him fraternizing with outcasts and unclean tax-collectors and sinners is in not one, but three parables. Its trajectory is deliberate to radically redefine what it means to be ‘lost’ and to reveal God’s heart for the lost. The prodigal asks for his portion of the inheritance prematurely, goes to a ‘far away country’ and squanders it. Then he is destitute, in desperate need and no one helps him. He ends up feeding pigs where he comes to his sense, repents and returns to Father’s house (more…)

Having examined Jesus’ short story called ‘the Prodigal Son’, I want to show how in reality Luke 15:11-32 is about ‘A Compassionate Father’. A good teacher is someone who takes listeners from: (1) the known to the unknown (2) the text into their context and (3) where they are to where they ought to be, by the grace of God. First, allow me to attempt to do just this with this familiar story and encourage us, the Church, to do “whatever it takes” to see those, especially in our immediate family, without the hope of salvation and eternal home, return and be reconciled to God (more…)

 Two pertinent ‘why’ questions help us understand the nature of Biblical compassion portrayed by the ‘prodigal Father’ who lavished love on his wayward son. (Lk.15:17-24). There is a definite progression, logic and climax in this story. One out of 100 sheep is lost. What does the shepherd do? He leaves the 99 to search until the one is found and then has a party! One of 10 silver coins is lost and the woman makes similar painstaking efforts and then the celebration! Now, one of the Jewish Father’s two sons is lost, the elder son seemed to know his whereabouts, so (1) Why didn’t this loving father go looking for, send a search party or rescue mission to get his boy back? (2) When the prodigal eventually appears, why does this elderly father go running to meet him? (more…)

If the parable of the lost sheep (Lk.15:1-7) is about being ‘lost and desperate about it’, this coin was ‘lost and couldn’t help it’. Comparisons can be made between the lively sheep that willfully strayed away from the flock of 100 and this inanimate coin that a woman ‘lost’ of 10 she possessed. Jesus may have deliberately picked a woman to serve his purpose as she would passionately express the deep grief and exuberant joy in finding what is lost. The point remains: We have a searching God, who actively seeks after lost souls, and rejoices whenever the ‘one’ is found (more…)

Something is said to be ‘lost’ if it is missing and the plain inference is that it needs to be found and put back in its rightful place. Yet, in our selfish, materialistic world, we don’t see the obvious, nor consider the serious consequence of losing something valuable. Jesus was accused by the religious leaders of his day for associating with and working for those who morally were considered the last, least and lost of society! Jesus silences his critics by telling them a story of the lost sheep (Lk.15:1-7). He wanted them to catch a vision – God’s vision – of helpless people without hope who are desperate. This parable can then promote Christian mission as we examine what was lost, why and how was it recovered? (more…)