1 The Parables of the Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son (Luke 15:1-23) Intro Story - On a recent international flight I was thrilled when entering the plane: Cocoon shaped seating Laptop sized screen Enough legroom to stretch out without obstacles...it was an introverts dream Then they guided us through a curtain: Arm rests that would need to be shared Screen the size of a small tablet No leg room if you tried to stretch you d disarm a floating device...this was economy class (not first class) In Luke 15, Jesus finds himself surrounded by two distinct classes: First Class = The Pharisees and the teachers of the law Religious men committed to understanding & applying the OT Even developing their own rules in their interpretation of the OT: Not only did they devise these hundreds of man-made rules, but they had also elevated them to the level of Scripture, so that to break one of their rules was to violate the law of God itself. Jerry Bridges Jesus Challenges the Pharisees They we re the Rule-Keepers
Economy Class = The tax collectors & (ESV notorious ) sinners These were the Rule-Breakers Worked for, and therefore supported, the Roman government (E.g. tax-collectors) If they were ill/suffering it was believed to be a direct cause of sin They were know for living immoral lives 2 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. (15:1-2) We need to recognise that their mutter[ing] is actually more than just a complaint it s an ACCUSATION Religious leaders worked very hard to keep themselves clean including the avoidance of people they regarded as unclean They we re essentially saying that these people are unworthy of acceptance, not just by themselves, but by God himself. It revealed their underlying belief that God s acceptance of a person is based on performance keeping oneself clean ISSUE: What makes a person worthy of God s acceptance? This is what leads to the telling of three parables that essentially say the same thing in x3 ways:
3 The Parable of the Lost Sheep 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. The Parable of the Lost Coin 8 Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin. 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. The Parable of the Lost Son 11 Jesus continued: There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them. 13 Not 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. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. 20 So he got up and went to his father. But 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. 21 The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.
4 1. How we get lost All three stories tell us of something that was lost (a sheep, a coin, a son) The concept of being lost means to be far from God. The Pharisees idea of becoming lost (far from God) was due to a failure of not living according to the rules (performance based) Jesus highlight x3 ways a person finds themselves lost (far from God) a. Sheep - lost through foolishness (naturally) b. Coin - lost through thoughtlessness (unintentionally) c. Son - lost through wilfulness (deliberately) *this final example is arguably the most unforgivable of all (?) What is Jesus trying to convey is that we can find ourselves far from God for a variety of complex reasons, and not because we failed to keep some religious rules. In fact, we can go as far as to say that even when we keep so called religious rules (read our Bibles, come to church) that we can find ourselves far from God. I was listening to a sermon in my car recently that speaks to this: But those of you who have grown up in some kind of religious context and some of you have grown up with a Bible around you all your life, you know as well as I do [that] proximity to information is not the promise of intimacy. Some of you have learned so much and yet your souls are empty, because you ve not come to know Him. That is by great fear and great concern...that you may have downloaded all the information [about God] and never made the connection [to God]. Erwin McManus
It s argued by some commentators that one way to read verse 7, which talks about the ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent, is to read is as the self - righteous - those who THINK they do not need to repent. There may be a bit of sarcasm in the reference to the Pharisees who do not need to repent (gotquestions.org) 5 Consider: You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. Luke 16:15 (Jesus speaking to Pharisees) No one is good except God alone Luke 18:9 (Jesus speaking to the Rich Young Man) All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags Isaiah 64:6 (our righteous acts are like menstrual garments compared to God s holiness) I.e. we are unable to justify ourselves. No matter how hard we tried, if it weren t for God s mercy, we would all be deserving of punishment for our sins. And so, therefore, the over-riding message Jesus is trying to convey is that all of us, for a variety of reasons, are all lost in our sin. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Rom. 3:22-23 OBSERVATION - All of us find ourselves lost (far from God) for a variety of reasons.
6 2. How we are found Notice that in a three parables: a. Sheep - does not find the Shepherd go[es] after vs. 4 b. Coin - does not find the Women search[ed] carefully vs. 8 c. Son - does not find (run to) the Father still a long way off... saw him and...ran to vs. 20 *Implies that the Father was looking out for him. *In fact commentators say the son returned on the bases of hunger alone, because notice the motive of his return: 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare? (17) Make me like one of your hired men.' (18) Q. Why desire to be hired? A. So he can get money to eat. He s not even returning so he can be in relationship with his Father. His Father is a means to an end! What all 3 parables are saying is that we don t come to God God comes to us! God seeks that which is lost and that is HOW we are found. Illustration The loss of Andrew While on holiday over December in a caravan park We let Andrew ride his bike in certain areas (within range of sight) One late afternoon, I couldn t see him. I immediately stopped what I was doing Deep sense of panic and concern
I went in search of him, looking extensively (meant walking throughout the camp) You would not have been able to distract me on this mission I cannot understate the joy of eventually finding him (Btw he got lost like s sheep, just wandered off unintentionally) 7 Let look at x4 ways these parables convey how God seeks after us: #1 God initiatives the search The only reason the sheep, the coin, and the son are found is because the Shepherd, the Women, and the Father initiated a search for them. I was found by those who did not seek me [I.e. we were sought after]; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me. Rom. 10:20 #2 God spares no cost The Shepherd exposed himself to the dangers of the wilderness, the owner set aside everything they could have been doing, and the Father humiliates himself by running after his wayward son. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all how will he not graciously give us all things Rom 8:32 #3 God searches until he finds The shepherd did not return until he [found] the sheep (vs. 4), the owner searched carefully until she [found] the coin (vs. 8), the father kept looking while he was still a long way off...saw him and...ran to his son (vs. 20) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10
8 #4 God rejoices when the lost are found The Shepherd and the owner call their friends and neighbours together to Rejoice with [them] (vs. 6, 9), the owner says to his servants to Have a feast and celebrate [with him] (vs. 22-23) If this is how each item is searched after, then it can only be because each lost item is valued: the sheep is prized the coin is treasured the son is precious If this, then, is how God searches after the lost (those far from him), then what Jesus is trying to say is that each lost person is valued by Him. Notice the personal concern expressed in these parables: The Shepherd searches after 1 of 100 sheep *and when found it, joyfully placed it on his shoulders (tender, personal concern) The Woman searches after 1 of 10 coins The Father searches after 1 of 2 sons Reveals that God is personally concerned for each lost individual and he therefore searches after us all personally....he rescued me because he delighted in me 2 Sam 22:20 OBSERVATION - God seeks after lost individuals because he values each individual personally.
9 Application We all find ourselves far from God for a variety of reasons, but the good news according to Jesus, is that God is merciful he chooses to love you. But God s love needs to be more than just a concept you understand, but something we implicitly know and believe to be true. Q. Do you really believe that God love YOU individually, personally and intimately? In Closing This parable is spoken to two types of people: The first class those who are trying to earn God s love The economy class those who doubting they are worthy of God s love Wherever you find yourself tonight (trying / doubting), understand WHY he loves you. He chooses to love you not because you are good, but because He is good. It is comforting to know that there is a lot more at stake in your salvation than just you. God saves people...for the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14)...So even when you falter, he s going to pursue his work in you for the sake of his name...if God didn t choose us because of our goodness, he s not counting on our goodness to keep us saved. We aren t chosen because we re good; we re chosen because he is. JD Greear, 4 reasons God tells you that you re chosen