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Chapter 15
Lost and Found
In Luke 19:10 Jesus said "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." In these first two parables He illustrates this truth.
a) The Lost Sheep.
15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him.
All the tax collectors and sinners in the region came to hear what Jesus had to say.
15:2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
This upset the Pharisees and scribes because they could see that Jesus accepted them with open arms. They would never do such a thing as they considered themselves without sin and would not have anything to do with these sinners.
15:3 So Jesus told them this parable:
Because of their attitude Jesus spoke these parables particularly for their benefit.
15:4 "Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it?
On the face of it this seems an unreasonable thing to do. To leave ninety-nine sheep unguarded in the wilderness and go to look for one that had willfully strayed from the flock at the risk of not only losing them but also your own life (Isaiah 53:6). This illustrates the extreme length that God will go to in order to find one lost soul!
15:5 Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
When he has found his lost sheep with great joy he carries it home on his shoulders (Isaiah 40:11). So Jesus Christ receives those whom He finds; He takes them to His bosom and lifts them up out of the pit of sin (Isaiah 51:1 and 1 Peter 2:25).
15:6-7 Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.' I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.
When he arrives home with the lost one he calls all his friends and neighbours together to come and rejoice with him. So there will be greater rejoicing in heaven when one lost sinner repents and comes to God than over the ninety-nine righteous who need not repent. Who are these ninety-nine righteous in the parable? Jesus was telling this parable to the Pharisees and scribes who considered themselves without sin and therefore did not need to repent and be saved; they were self-righteous.
b) The Lost Coin.
15:8 "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it?
A woman had ten silver coins (drachmas, equivalent to a Roman penny about seven pence in our coinage). Each coin was very important to her and she did not want to lose any of them. Therefore if she should lose one she will immediately set about thoroughly looking for it, turning the house upside down, until she finds it. This again not only illustrates the extremes length God will go to in finding a lost soul but also that He is not willing that any should lost (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4, Ezekial 18:32).
15:9-10 Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents."
When she finds her coin she invites all her friends and neighbours to come and rejoice with her because she had found the lost coin. So there is great rejoicing in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents. Note Jesus did not say the angels rejoice although they would have but that the triune God would rejoice before the angels.
The Dead in Trespasses and Sins made Alive in Christ
15:11-12 Then Jesus said, "A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.'so he divided his assets between them.
Jesus continued by telling another parable about a man who had two sons. The younger of the two asked his father for something that was not yet his. The money that would be his portion of the inheritance after his father had died. He was not satisfied with that which his father was giving to him now he wanted more. So the man divided his wealth between his two sons. The scribes and the Pharisees of Jesus' day exerted an authority over the people and demanded more of them than what God had decreed in His word.
15:13 After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle.
A few days later the younger son packed his bags and went to live in a far country. He couldn't wait to get away from the influence and home of his father, he wanted to get as far away as he possibly could. Those who have no time for God and will not acknowledge Him in their lives will take extreme measures to get away from His influence in their lives and to harden their hearts to the conviction that the Holy Spirit brings upon them. They will not have Jesus Christ to reign in the lives (Luke 19:14). This son did not even spend his wealth wisely put squandered on a wild lifestyle.
15:14 Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need.
Eventually he came to an end of his money which coincided with a famine in the country where he had chosen to live. He did not have enough to buy food with. The ultimate end of all those who turn their back upon God is to become spiritually bankrupt. John Gill in his commentary says "Sin strips a man of all that is good and valuable; of the image of God, of the knowledge of divine things, of natural holiness, of moral righteousness, and of strength to perform moral good;"
15:15 So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
He had sunk so low that he sought employment with a farmer in the area who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. For a Jew this would be loathsome for they were forbidden by God to eat pig or even to keep them. It would appear that he did this without receiving any payment or food but was left to fend for himself, seeking shelter with the pigs.
15:16 He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
He became so hungry that the carob pods which the pigs were eating looked good enough for him to satisfy his hunger. This was the wages he had to pay for going away from his father's house and wasting his inheritance (Rom. 6:23).
15:17 But when he came to his senses he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger!
The foolish behaviour of this young man was that of a mad man. So it is with every sinner that will not accept salvation through Jesus Christ (Eccles. 9:3). However, God is gracious and merciful and through his extremity God deals with this young man. He comes to his senses and remembers his father's home where even the hired servants have more than enough bread to eat while he is starving to death.
15:18-19 I will get up and go 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; treat me like one of your hired workers." '
He was brought to a place of repentance where in all humility he decided to go back home to his father and to say that he was sorry and ask forgiveness for the sins he had committed against him (Acts 3:19 and 1 John 1:9). To declare his unworthiness to be owned by him as a son and to treat him as one of his hired servants.
15:20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him.
So he returned home to his father. His father had never given up on him but was always looking out for his return. On seeing him in the distance coming towards him, filled with a love and compassion his father ran to meet him and embraced and kissed him (Psa. 86:5, Psa. 86:15 and Isa. 49:15).
15:21 Then his son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
The son makes his confession to his father that he had first and foremost sinned against heaven, God, and him and is not worthy to be called his son.
15:22 But the father said to his slaves, 'Hurry! Bring the best robe, and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet!
Here we see the love and compassion of the father in action. He does not remonstarte with his son over the way he behaved but calls the servants to bring out the best robe on dress him in it. Also a ring to put on his finger and sandals for his bare feet.
God has shown his love and compaasion to us in that He gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross that we might be reconciled to Him (Rom. 5:8-11). He has clothed us with Ghis righteousness (Isa. 61:10 and Philip. 3:9). He has identified us as His own by putting His seal upon us, the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22).
15:23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate.
A calf that was being prepared for some special event was slain and made ready to eat to celebrate with great rejoicing the return of his son.
15:24 Because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again — he was lost and is found!' So they began to celebrate.
This is a double tragedy, the son was dead in his trepasses and sins and he was far away from God, lost. But he is made alive again when he repents, confesses his sin and asks forgiveness of his father. Every sinner is as this young man was when he went from his fathers house and repents and came back home (Eph. 2:1-6 and Rom. 8:2).
15:25-26 Now his older son was in the field. As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the slaves and asked what was happening.
The father and the servants rejoiced and welcome the younger son home. The elder son who had been working in the fields when he heard the noise of rejoicing asked the servants what it was all about.
15:27-28 The slave replied, 'Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.' But the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and appealed to him.
On being told that his brother had returned safely home and his father had killed the fatted calf he was not pleased but became very angry and would not go in to join in the celebrations. He refused to be pacified by his father's pleadings.
15:29-30 But he answered his father, 'Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'
Why did the elder son behave in this manner? Well, after receiving his share of the inheritance he hadn't gone off and squandered his money but had remained faithful and obedient to his father and had continued to work hard. It seemed unjust that his father should killed the fatted calf and throw a party for his wayward brother. Remember Jesus was telling this parable to the Pharisees and scribes who in their own eyes were righteous and were faithful and obedient to the law of God. Anybody else was either tax collectors and sinners and were not deserving of God's blessings.
15:31 Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours.
His father tries to reassure him by acknowledging that he had always stayed with him and that everything he has belongs to him. This is of course true regarding the Jews whom God chose and separated to Himself, entrusting them with His word and to whom He gave the promises (Rom. 9:4). This did not guarantee them salvation for they need to come through believing and receiving Jesus Christ as their Saviour the same way as everybody else.
15:32 It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.'
The father justifies his actions in celebrating the return of his wayward younger son who was dead but is now alive, who was lost but is now found.
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