Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He told them this parable, saying (Lk. 15:1–3).
One of the easiest sections of Scripture from which a hurried pastor can craft an acceptable sermon is Luke 15. Yet buried within this remarkable story—not stories as it is a single parable—are numerous and weighty insights that challenge the most experienced exegete. The truths in this section expand our understanding of the security of the believer, the tireless saving activity of God, and the hilarious joy of the heavenly host for one sinner who repents. We sense both the pain in the Father’s heart as his rebellious boy leaves for the far country and the uncontainable joy when the son turns toward home.
This account is indeed one story but the three parts must be compared, contrasted and studied individually to get the weight of its profound truth. The shepherd loses just one sheep out of the hundred; only a one percent loss. The woman loses one of her ten treasured coins, a ten percent loss. The father is faced with the heart-breaking loss of fifty percent. There is an increasing crescendo of tragedy as the story moves from sheep to coin to son. When we consider the cause of lostness we gain insight into the breadth of the human condition. The sheep just imperceptibly wandered away. The coin was lost by no fault of its own; rather it was lost by the careless of a sloppy householder. The son was driven by selfish and popular desires. He wanted to make a name for himself in the Big Apple. He chose to leave home and go his own merry way. One can almost feel the hurtful knife that was thrust through the heart of the loving father as he watched his rebellious but beloved son disappear down the dusty road of self-will.
Perhaps the overriding truth communicated in this parable would be the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. This seems to be the driving thrust of this three-part story for it answers in the most profound and picturesque way the grumbling comment of the Scribes and Pharisees who in their disgust would not even utter the name of Jesus. “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Yes, indeed! “This Man” does receive sinners and that is the true gospel and that is our only hope. And “This Man”—Jesus Christ—is the exact representation of the Father.[1]
“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Lk. 5:32).
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (Jn. 3:16, 17).
With that short introduction we turn to the first section of this three-part parable.
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. “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 which was lost!’ “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance Lk. 15:4–7.
The parable is simple with a few instructive word pictures that communicate volumes to the attentive student. Jesus could have answered the grumbling Jews straight on, but such an answer would not have touched their leathered soul. So, as only the Master of communication could do, he responds by showing the close parallel between what He was doing in seeking a lost soul and what they would do in the case of a missing sheep. “What man of you…” Jesus draws both a parallel and a contrast between the way He receives sinners and the way the Jewish shepherd would search for a lost sheep. Jesus pictures what a “good shepherd” would do and thus allows His audience to mentally associate with the story in a positive way thereby building a bridge of communication. However, as the story continues it becomes quite evident that the word picture painted by the Master does not fit any Hebrew shepherd of the day but can only apply to the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.[2] Few astute business persons would risk 99% of their capital—the shepherd left 99 of his sheep in the open pasture—to recover the 1% that was lost. Here we see the motivation that drove the shepherd to search for the wayward sheep was not so much a selfish concern for capital. Rather, the Good Shepherd had the welfare of the sheep in mind. Soon it would be dark and the hungry coyotes and marauding lions would be prowling for their evening meal.
Consider why the sheep became lost. It was not rebelling against the will of the shepherd. It was not trying to leave the flock. Sheep are mentally near sighted. When one tuft of grass is eaten, another is seen a step or two away. So, unconsciously, without considering the consequences of each incremental movement away from the flock, it finds itself lost and is not able to discover the way back to the fold.
Without doubt the most assuring sentence in this part of the story is that the Shepherd searched for the sheep until he found it. This short declaration continues to provide an active hope to many a worried believer who saw their loved one step by step wonder away. It is a hope founded on the grace, mercy and love of God. Yes, it is more than a hope, it is a reality seen now by the eye of faith.[3]
And what does the Shepherd do when He finds His sheep? First, note what he does not do. There is no condemnation,[4] no threats[5] no scolding or beating[6] The Shepherd lifts the sheep to his shoulder, rejoicing! It would be well for those who may have wondered away from God to meditate on this story and let the good news of the simple gospel penetrate deeply into the recesses of the soul. It is not the details of how or when one drifted away or even how far away from God’s flock one may have wondered that counts. Rather, the focus of our attention should be on the loving heart of God who searches until he finds the lost and carries them back rejoicing!
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 which was lost!
It becomes quite obvious now that the story of the rejoicing shepherd transcends—perhaps even contrasts—the reality of shepherding. I recall the time I worked for my cousin who had a few sheep that were fenced in an area of lush green grass and a watering trough which, from the human perspective, should have provided a comfortable home for the sheep. However, many times my first morning assignment was to get the sheep back into the pen, find where they had escaped and fix the spot. Often they had somehow managed to squeeze under the fence without any visible problem with the fence. This scenario went on day after day as I had rounded up the stray sheep and “fixed” the fence. I must say that my attitude was not one of rejoicing! Rather, I began to have a certain disdain for such dumb animals that to this day colors my concept of sheep.
We see, then, that Jesus used the parallels of this story to build a bridge of communication with the Pharisees, who had a manifest disdain for sinners, much as I felt for the wayward sheep under my care. As the story progresses, however, Jesus moves from parallels to contrasts. The shepherd calls for a party. Why? Not because he had finely fixed the fence so the sheep could not get out again; not because he has recaptured the 1% of his capital, but only because He has found His sheep which was lost. He had rescued it from the jaws of the lion that prowls around seeking to devour.[7] Then to drive home the truth of how God feels about the sinner who comes to Christ we read:
“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
In saying this, Jesus is in no way diminishing God’s love for the righteous. We will see this in the last part of the story. Nevertheless, when something or someone is lost, it captures our attention and its very lostness multiplies its value. Many years ago I had a little pocket knife that I treasured. There was really nothing unique about it but I had carried it for many years and hundreds of miles while backpacking. With its various blades it had proven itself a useful tool in numerous and varied circumstances. One day it was missing. I searched for it long and hard. I could have purchased another, but it would not have filled the treasured place in my pocket that the old knife had. Some weeks later I found it and it was with joy that the lost was found.
This little story only provides a hint at the multiplication of the value of a lost person. As this one parable unfolds its three parts our Lord allows us to peer into the recesses of the depth of God’s love—a love that risks for our redemption.
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