2.12.16. 3.17.2024 Certain the Lost will be Found Luke 15
Luke: Certain about Jesus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Entice: In art, less is often more. Musically we see this in J.S. Bach’s work for unaccompanied cello and violin. What’s left out is what makes the composition. The focus is entirely on the notes which are enhanced by the space between them, the air in the composition.
Jesus’ parables partake in this less is more artistic approach, applied to language. Most over-interpretation violates the air Jesus leaves in the parables—what He does not say. This is most important when we look at parables we know well. Our minds, in trying to fill the air with notes often make connections that are not there, or we make the images concrete in a way that Jesus did not intend. In this parable His intent is clear and motivated by those who did not see the lost for what they were.
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Engage: This gives us insight into Jesus’ intent. Godly people should not resent the offer of God’s gracious acceptance to anyone and everyone.
Expand: We “know” a lot of wrong things about Luke 15. I think it is pointless to quantify such things—but the number is high. I’m not talking about being wrong about things in the parable, I’m talking about those things we are certain of which are never even mentioned. I’m going to do my best to stick with what Luke recorded that Jesus said.
Interpreters differ about whether this text is one or three parables. I have concluded that it is one parable with three episodes, a parable-cycle, that reinforces a few central truths about God’s nature and His concern for the lost.
Jesus embodied those concerns. A part of His message to the grumbling critics was that when they criticized Him, they criticized God, showing that they misunderstood divine character. Whether you take them as 1 parable or 3 they must be read together in a process of mutual interpretation.
Luke 15:3–32 (ESV)
3 So he told them this parable:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?
9 And 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.’
10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.
12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.
13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.
14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’
20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’
28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,
29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’
31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”
Excite: We often use the word Allegory when talking about reading parables. Allegory is when the abstract comparisons in the parable are made concrete. For example, often the father=God, the rebellious son=all rebellious people, the elder brother=legalists and hypocrites.
The problem here is that not all the comparisons can be made concrete. The fatted calf? The pigs? And how does repentance fit in with dumb sheep and inanimate coins? This is where many exegetes and preachers can confuse you because they fail to remind you of a simple fact.
IT IS NOT REAL.
IT IS NOT REAL.
IT IS A STORY.
IT IS A STORY.
The truth of the story is found in its intent. Its power is found in its vividness.
Too often parables are treated the way hostile takeovers treated companies in the 1980’s. They are broken up, assuming that the parts are more valuable than the whole.
Jesus told a whole story.
Jesus is making a point in the comparisons. Our goal, my goal in any sermon is to declare what the text teaches.
What do we learn then from this parable cycle?
What was Jesus’ point?
What was Jesus’ point?
Explore:
Embrace the heavenly joy of finding the lost, and not express jealousy.
Embrace the heavenly joy of finding the lost, and not express jealousy.
Expand: This parable-cycle reminds us of several Godly perspectives.
Body of Sermon:
First consider how God views
1 The Problem of lost things.
1 The Problem of lost things.
Everyone acknowledges that the Lost are Valued. How valuable is seen in our reaction.
1.1 In a sense why they are lost is irrelevant.
1.1 In a sense why they are lost is irrelevant.
1.2 The lost are indifferent to their condition.
1.2 The lost are indifferent to their condition.
The sheep and coin certainly didn’t know they were lost, and the son didn’t know he was lost until other factors brought him to his senses.
Next, consider how Jesus describes
2 The Pursuit of lost things.
2 The Pursuit of lost things.
I must add a reminder. Honest exegetes do not try to explain the unexplainable or exploit the undefined.
2.1 We look for lost things, because they are ignorant of their lostness.
2.1 We look for lost things, because they are ignorant of their lostness.
2.2 We look for lost things out of instinct.
2.2 We look for lost things out of instinct.
2.3 We look for lost people in imitation of the Father.
2.3 We look for lost people in imitation of the Father.
Finally, like Jesus we must participate in
3 The Party for lost things found.
3 The Party for lost things found.
We rejoice for their
3.1 Retrieval.
3.1 Retrieval.
This is the key factor in our joy. Lost things no longer lost!
We rejoice for their
3.2 Repentance.
3.2 Repentance.
Think back what I said earlier about “the air” in a parable being important. In the first scene we are told that there is greater heavenly joy at one who repents than 99 who don’t need to repent. This challenges our understanding of repentance a bit. And in the second scene we are told that there is joy at one sinner who repents. Clearly inanimate objects like coins can’t repent, neither can sheep for that matter. What’s going on here?
This parable does not offer a full-blown theology of repentance. There are other parts of the NT that handle that just fine.
It is our reaction to repentance
It is our reaction to repentance
which is being considered. When we rejoice at repentance we are being like God.
Which brings us to the heart of the party joining in heavenly
3.3 Rejoicing
3.3 Rejoicing
The proper, Godly response to repentance for anyone, for any reason is rejoicing. Celebration. A party!
Shut Down
Jesus gives us enough information to disclose the point without filling in every blank. The first two scenes are generally read as interesting comparisons that we have to wade through to get tho the “tragic” story of the Lost Son. The tragedy in this text is not in the actual parable but in the introduction,
Luke 15:1–2 (ESV)
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
The tragedy is that anyone is so “spiritual” that they would deny access to Jesus because they are not “like us.”
The church is to be a place filled with joy because the lost are found.