Compassion is not judgmental

Myron Augsburger continued the summer sermon series at Park View Mennonite Church on the theme of Jesus the storyteller, but he did it by turning around the reading of the three parables found in Luke 15:1-32. In one parable, the shepherd persevered in looking for the one lost sheep, a force of compassion that can move the world. It is not easy for us to move to compassion. Jesus told stories to his audience, stories that would help listeners meet themselves. In the parable of the lost sons, we hear of not one but two sons who were lost. One was the son who wandered away and squandered wealth. The father showed compassion and welcomed his son back. But the elder brother, the one who had stayed with the father, was also lost and was not able to join in the celebration. God forgive us when our sense of judgment overwhelms our sense of compassion!