The Lost Parables of Luke 15. CLICK HERE to listen to audio recording of this message.
Lost. Is it somewhere you are? Is it a TV show that ended in 2010? Is it a condition of the soul? Yes.
The last one is the most applicable to us here in church culture.
When we talk about the lost or being lost, it’s in reference to someone who has not found their new life in Christ. Or maybe rather, who is yet to be “found” by Christ. Jesus knows where we are, but without him in our life, we are aimlessly trekking this earth without true purpose, power, or passion.
Maybe it is hard to figure out who is lost and who is not. It seemed that in Luke 15, some Pharisees had no problem pointing out some people who were far from God, but they did have trouble determining how much Value God places on the Lost.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
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.
Luke 15:1-7 NIV
Now this is a series of 3 such parables. There is going to be some overlap between them as Jesus essentially uses three different angles to get across to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law how much value God places on the Lost.
In this parable Jesus starts with something very basic. Sheep.
Vocation (or an essential part of your ability to earn a living)
If any of those in the room owned sheep, or at the very least they understood the concept of being a shepherd, they would have instantly recognized that Jesus is talking about that shepherd’s net worth. To put it crudely, the sheep are the possessions that make the shepherd more money.
Total net worth is 100 Sheep, and instantly your net worth drops by 1/100th. You still have 99 sheep, safe and sound, but you are missing that one that completes your 100 sheep flock.
I know it’s a bit geeky, but I find it oddly satisfying when I shelf a product at the store and I place the last of that item and it fills up the row. That row was incomplete without that last can of black beans. This flock of 100 is incomplete without that last sheep. So the Shepherd goes everywhere to find it. He seeks the Lost.
”For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:10 NIV
Verse Luke 15:5 tells us the shepherd rejoices and calls others to rejoice at the finding of this little, lost sheep. Then after setting this all up, just in case his audience are among those who don’t “get” his parables, he lands the plane.
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.
Luke 15:7 NIV
This is a parable but also a simile to help his audience understand heavenly things. The rejoicing in Heaven. The celebration that takes place when a sinner repents.
Wages, Savings, Financial “security”
Jesus goes on to a different area, perhaps appealing to those without flocks or an understanding of caring for living resources. He talks about money. Cold hard cash. Not much money, come to mention it. But this parable follows a similar pattern as the first.
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.”
Luke 15:8-10 NIV
The Silver coins were owned by the woman, it said “she has” 10 silver coins. Once again, like the sheep, some owned them all. Then something unfortunate happens. 1 is lost.
In what scenario do you see someone missing one of their 10 coins? Are they counting them while sitting at their desk? Perhaps transferring the coins from one location to another? If you are missing money you knew you had, what would your first instinct be? If you asked any child, their first instinct is “somebody stole my money!” This is something that used to happen quite frequently at kids camps back in the day. They eventually decided to either use a punch card or have the counselors be in charge of all the student’s cash.
Tangerine
(Nazarene Tangent)
I lose stuff. I don’t know if I have ever had anything really stolen from me. When we lived in Texas, I once forgot to lock the car doors and overnight someone got into our car, rummaged through our glove compartment and took our loose change we had in a couple places in there. That’s about as close to having something stolen.
But lost? Just about a month ago I had come home from work and realized I was missing something: my wedding band. I couldn’t recall when I saw it last or where I might have put it. I have a habit of taking it off if my hands get cold, because it slips off my finger. I place it in my right pocket and later reach into my pocket to find it and put it back on.
But a month ago, when I could not remember the last time I saw it, I started searching for my lost ring. I reached into the hamper and searched my jeans. No luck. If it wasn’t in my jeans pocket, it had to have come off in my work gloves and it would be in my apron at the store. I went over to search in my work apron and still, no ring. I told the checkers at work, and they would be keeping an eye out for it. One of them reminded me about prayer. Duh!
Why is prayer always the last resort? Why don’t we go to prayer before trying to fix our problems? God might reveal something obvious to us that just took a prayerful heart and mind to see.
Well, I did. I did pray, but I was not too concerned. Yes, this was my original wedding band. I however had two others as my finger size has fluctuated over the years. I had already begun to wear one of them in place of the missing ring.
Two Sundays ago, right before 4 PM bible study I came out of the parsonage and saw Fred and Faith standing by the curb in front of the church. (Fred and Faith regularly attend our Sunday Night Bible study.) They were looking at something.
Curious, I asked what they were looking at. They had seen something like a key ring in the gutter in front of the church and picked it up. They realized it was a ring. When I saw it, I realized it was MY ring. It had slipped off my finger as I came home one day from work. It was amazing the street sweeper didn’t come through and sweep it up!
Big thanks to the both of them, but the most thanks belongs to God, who hears and answers prayer. Even something so small as a ring or a coin can be found when you consult the one to whom nothing is hidden.
Resources
Instead of something to make money, like sheep, the woman had actually lost money! Maybe it was enough to pay for food, supplies or maybe even her savings! Maybe it was her tithe or offering. That one silver coin meant a lot to her. And just like the shepherd before her, a celebration was called.
Party Time
Both of these parables, Jesus describes celebrations:
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.’
9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
Luke 5:5,6,9 NIV
This is just me guessing, but the shepherd probably didn’t throw a big party serving leg of lamb that night. And the woman probably didn’t use her coins to host a big dinner for her friends. This call to rejoice is just like when you have had something good happen, you just can’t hold it in, you’ve got to tell someone. Maybe friends and family first. They are happy for you. Perhaps coworkers who are polite but might not really care. Either way you celebrate.
You reflect and rejoice!
Jesus says in both of these instances that “more rejoicing for a sinner repenting than for the existence of a person not needing repentance.” And…rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God if one lost person comes to Christ and repents.
Ratios
It’s a matter of Ratios.
The first parable, 1 out of 100. A small piece, but so very important.
The second parable, 1 out of 10. A much larger piece, possibly a make-it or break-it coin for that woman.
Neither one of these scenarios is an acceptable loss. That’s why the person searches until they find what they seek.
In this last Parable, the parable of the Lost Son, we see a 1-out-of-2 ratio of sons. We also see what great love a father can have for his son, even if his son legally wishes his dad were dead.
Future – Family
CLICK HERE to READ Luke 15:11-32 NIV
OK, first off that was a MUCH longer parable than the first two. Also, did you notice that he doesn’t give the application point – the teachable moment – in clear words. Before we get too carried away, I want to remind you of Jesus’ audience here.
His audience was made up of three groups:
- his followers (disciples)
- the tax collectors and sinners
- the Pharisees and teachers of the Law
Each group came into these parables believing they had a particular value in God’s eyes.
- Religious people probably believed that God valued them best
- Tax Collectors and Sinners were constantly reminded by aforementioned religious people that God did not value them (or at least believed religious people didn’t value them..)
- The disciples are assumed to be there in the audience – as they typically would remain close to Jesus. They have already experienced both worlds. Not feeling as though they are valued, then called by Jesus – The Messiah! They must have felt very special, but of course constantly berated by the religious figures.
Since we’ve just read the story, lets recap the high points in News Paper Headlines
Son’s plan: take the money and run.
Facing Famine, Son Ponders Plan.
Man’s Son: Back from the Dead!
Other Son Annoyed. Didn’t get a party!
With Mixed Emotions, Father’s son is home.
Other son, relationally checks out.
Conclusion
What do we take away from these three parables?
God Highly values each of us.
“9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
He’s patient in his final judgment. He doesn’t desire any of us to perish. Anyone to die without coming to repentance.
No matter the ratio, God desires us to be with him.
- The Sheep were already together in a place where the shepherd knew. He needed to only seek and bring back the lost sheep, the one outside the flock.
- The lost coin was 1/10 of her wealth, but yet she tore her house up seeking it until it was found.
- The lost son was 1 out of 2 sons. He was the bad boy. The disgraceful one. And even though he treated his father with utter contempt, his father loved him and watched for him and ran to him even while he was still a long way off. He lavished on his son. Treating him far better than he deserved, and the son knew it. The other brother had never left his physical closeness to his father, but his heart was on himself and not on what his father valued. He ends up being sad and disappointed.
- The Sheep, the coin, the son. Far away from where they ought to be are sought with great earnestness, no matter how many they are out of.
Celebration is the Natural Response to Salvation
“Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’” Luke 15:6b
“9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’” Luke 15:9
32 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.’” Luke 15:32
What are you celebrating? Let’s join the angels in heaven to celebrate and give God praise for the Lost can be found and they can come home.
CHALLENGE: Begin praying for salvation for 1 person in your life that you don’t know is saved.
Viroqua Naz 