The Extravagant Love of God Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Published: March 27, 2019, 11:57 p.m.

b'We are doing a special Q&A episode about Easter & Holy Week. Submit a question! Send it as an email to connect@queertheology.com or record an audio message here (or from the sidebar of any page on our website, including this one!).\\nWhat happens when we re-encounter stories that we heard with different interpretations growing up? What if we understood God as extravagantly loving instead of always waiting for us to mess up so God could smite us? How would that change how we move through the world? How does this text teach us about family acceptance and queer families? All this and more in this week\\u2019s podcast!\\nMentioned in this episode\\n\\nYou don\\u2019t have to reconcile your faith and identity\\nFire Island as a queer sacred site\\n\\nLuke 15:1-3, 11-32\\nNow the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, \\u201cThis man welcomes sinners and eats with them.\\u201d\\nThen Jesus told them this parable:\\nJesus continued: \\u201cThere was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, \\u2018Father, give me my share of the estate.\\u2019 So he divided his property between them.\\n\\u201cNot long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.\\n\\u201cWhen he came to his senses, he said, \\u2018How many of my father\\u2019s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.\\u2019 So he got up and went to his father.\\n\\u201cBut while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.\\n\\u201cThe son said to him, \\u2018Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.\\u2019\\n\\u201cBut the father said to his servants, \\u2018Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let\\u2019s have a feast and celebrate.\\xa02For this son of mine was dead and is alive again;\\xa0he was lost and is found.\\u2019 So they began to celebrate.\\n\\u201cMeanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. Your brother has come,\\u2019 he replied, \\u2018and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.\\u2019\\n\\u201cThe older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, \\u2018Look! All these years I\\u2019ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.\\xa0But when this son of yours who has squandered your property\\xa0with prostitutes\\xa0comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!\\u2019\\n\\u201c\\u2018My son,\\u2019 the father said, \\u2018you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.\\u2019\\u201d\\nPhoto by Tim Marshall\\nThe post The Extravagant Love of God \\u2013 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 appeared first on Queer Theology.'