"The Lost Sheep, Coin and Son"

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THE PARABLES OF JESUS, #030
A Chronological Study

"To Him who opened His mouth in parables and
uttered things hidden since the creation of the world."
Psalm 78:2 [i]

"The Lost" Luke 15:1-32

Sheep :1-7

Coin :8-10
Son :11-32

SUMMARY INTRODUCTION:

Three parables in a row in one chapter - we should probably get a good focus on this very important chapter. Jesus is intentionally relating three stories with the same meaning and emphasis. Each story is the same in the manner of how the individual of the story loves and cares about that one which is lost. Each story is different in the details and situation. Each story exemplifies both the man, ministry, and mission of Jesus Christ and the Glory of God the Father. One of the themes that I like to tell across many of these parables is the theme of...

Just who is God.

The Bible tells us that there is one Almighty God who exists outside of all that is created. We're also told that He exists as having three distinct and individual "persons." We call that "The Trinity." He has revealed those persons as, "The Father," "The Son," and "The Holy Spirit." These terms are extremely important to our understanding of the work of God toward human beings here on earth. Chapter one of Genesis relates that God created all of creation. We live in His creation - our planet, solar system, and galaxy. As we look into the sky and see that creation we don't just see our galaxy, but part of His whole universe. The more advanced our technology, the bigger His creation is revealed. I love telling that there are over 100 billion stars in our galaxy... and there are more galaxies than there are stars in our own! And, amazingly, He focuses His attention upon us.

His revelation of His personal names should give us insight into what He is, and why he is here among us. He has revealed that He wants us to be members of His immediate family, and that we should see Him in three different and important ways.

He desires that we see Him (God) as our Father. A perfect father who is all about loving us and helping us to gain godly maturity and all those things which a good and perfect father does for his children.

He desires that we see Him (God) as a perfect son. One who is absolutely obedient to his father - for that is the big story of the Bible - the loving, absolutely obedient Son who would willingly give His life at the request of His father for the people on the Earth that He loves and has a plan for.

And then, there is God who desires that we see Him as the absolutely powerful Spirit that can communicate and work through people to bring his message of revelation, love, ministry, salvation and faith in God. We need to remember to not separate Him into three separate gods - He is One who does all this and much more.

The book of Hebrews reveals that even the Angels and their story were created to be set in place as ministers of God to serve us, His children (Heb. 1:14).

This chapter (15), recorded by Luke, contains three parables which demonstrate to those who see it... the ways in which God shows His love for those who will choose to: love Him, love His Son, and love His Spirit, and become faithful and obedient to Him.

Also, keep your eyes and mind open to an alternat message that these parables tell. We've talked about Jesus' parabolic teachings being heard by different people and their receiving different messages. Pretend you are a Jewish religious leader of the day. Listen to what Jesus has to say about "Those who are Lost." Then think that Jesus is talking about you and others who are part of the Lost Covenanted People of Israel. Jesus is saying that you are lost - and there would be great rejoicing if you repented - turned around from facing away from your God to facing Him directly. That would be a great message for them to hear and act upon - but they chose to shout "Crucify Him, Crucify Him, Crucify Him," instead.

I. THE CONTEXT

Who, Where, when, what, and why?

Who

The crowd that is following Him may be wearing on Him as this message is to them as Jews and their situation. They had been chosen by God to become His covenanted people. Over the centuries they rebelled and turned to idols over and over again. They were chosen by God to bring the nations of their time into a relationship with God - but they failed in their task and have been set aside (for a while) and His Church will take on the responsibility of leading the world to God through Jesus, The Son.

Jesus speaks in parables, verbal illustrations with a message, so that those who are able to "hear" them will understand important truths that the majority will not understand... intentionally.

Where?

Jesus is still on His way to the Cross. It's possible that He is now on the last leg of that journey. He's still heading to Jerusalem but probably still working His way through Southeastern Judea. His hour is coming and His messages are becoming very specific.

When?

A.D. 33 (Jesus is 30) (there are different dates due to a misalignment of times and places by those who set calendars in place over the years. For our purposes we'll set Jesus birth at the most likely date of 3 AD and His death on Friday, April 3, 33 AD. [ii]) It's very soon before the first "Palm Sunday," the week before the Passover celebration that we now call "Easter." He's been traveling some time now from Capernaum in Galilee and these crowds have been building along the journey towards Jerusalem.

What?

Jesus tells three stories about looking for "Lost Souls" and finding them and rejoicing over their rescue. The First parable concerns a lost sheep and a shepherd who rejoices upon finding it. In the second parable a woman who looses a full day's wages (paid as a single coin) and rejoices when she finds it again. The third parable, much larger, concerns a man with two sons one who gets lost and then returned with much rejoicing, and one who is angry because his father rejoices over the return of the lost brother. So we have a Lost Responsibility, a Lost Value, and a Lost Relationship.

Why?

The three parables tell thee stories. The first tells of the Shepherd who has lost one of His sheep. He deems each sheep to be of great importance, therefore the one who is "lost" must be found. The second tells of the woman who has lost a coin worth a weeks wages, therefore the "lost" coin must be found. The third tells of a man who has lost a son - sons are of great importance - and therefore must be found, but this third story has a very important twist concerning a son who was not lost.

These parables are mostly about Jesus and the Jewish nation and their response to the Gospel - and eventually the Church and its believers. It's a happy and sad set of stories that we all need to see.

An important note in the understanding of these parables is that, in the deepest sense, they are all about those whom God has chosen to be His own. All of mankind was separated from God at the Fall (Gen. 3). All of us are born lost but scripturally speaking God has chosen many to eventually become His (no longer lost). Some call this predestination, being chosen or called. God's salvation offer is made to all... but we can see all around us that many will never answer His call. Without the return to Him... There is no salvation.

THE LOST SHEEP

THE TEXT

Luke 15:1-7

15 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners [non-religious Jews] were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Luke sets the stage by telling us that the Jewish Pharisees and the scribes have started to grumble audibly. They were angry because this Rabbi (teacher - Jesus) has been collecting hated tax collectors (charging increased tax amounts to provide themselves with more income), and Jews who were not attenders or supporters of the Synagogue or the Oral Law Rabbis. Since this was a mostly Jewish society, anyone who didn't support the Oral Law or the Synagogue (where it was taught) was considered unclean, and a dirty sinner - the very people Jesus was spending His time with.[iii] We've also seen in earlier parable studies that Jesus regularly eats with such people, and sometimes they don't wash their hands! (Mark 7:1-15). Jesus wants those whom the Spirit of God has spoken to hear a message about what's wrong with their religious leaders, friends and neighbors. Allowing them to see what is MISSING, LOST in their lives: a Savior who finds and rescues the lost ones who belong, a Savior restores lost blessings and a Savior who restores His son, but the brothers are angry for his restoration. There are, of course, many ways to interpret Jesus' parables, Here's how I see this set of three.

IDENTIFYING THE OWNER

The Text:

3 So He told them this parable, saying, 4 “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 [Lit. wilderness] and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

His audience would be largely farmers and many of them raise animals. The most numerous animals in any farmer's keep in that day would be sheep. So Jesus asks the question in order to set-up this parable. "Which one of you," he asks directly to them. Jesus knows how to get their attention. "Which one of you would leave your flock and go to find and rescue the one who was lost?" Do you see the what Jesus said? This message is NOT about sheep. It's about people (Example: Read Psalm 23). It's about people who belong. Sheep belong to the Shepherd. The people Jesus is addressing are those WHO BELONG TO GOD. The one who is LOST, needs to be found. [Let's clarify the situation... You have a list of many people that will belong to the flock when it is finished (the book of life). In this case building the flock is almost complete - but there is one missing, but his name is on the list. The flock is not complete until the one missing is found and brought to the flock.

Remember... Jesus is building His flock of people, and the flock will not be complete until the last one is found and brought into the flock.] The one who OWNS this sheep will go after it until He finds it. Do you know one who is LOST, if so, then you need to leave your comfort zone among all the others (who are not lost) to find this one. Why? For that is what Jesus did. He came here to find and rescue His sheep in this lost place - for each named one is that important to Him. Like the lost sheep, we need to realize that the lost person is found and rescued because they already belong to the Lord.

A clear reference is made to Jesus in Ezekiel 34:11-16a. The paragraph speaks concerning the restoration of Israel.

11 For the Lord God says this: “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd cares for his flock on a day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing place will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down in a good grazing place and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I Myself will feed My flock and I Myself will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. 16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick;"

RESCUING AND REJOICING

The Text:

5 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 which was lost!’

What a savior He is! As the Shepherd, He has left the fold, searched the land, found the lost one, rescues it, and now takes him upon His shoulders to care for and carry him, and brings him HOME. Then He calls everyone there and says to them, "Rejoice with ME, for I have found MY person who was lost."

THE SUMMARY PICTURE

The Text:

7 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.

Do you see now? We're talking about sinners who belong to the Lord, their names are written in the book of life - they just don't know it. Each individual that gets found, rescued, brought back into the fold... brings GREAT JOY to the population of Heaven... Each One... that should be our goal - to bring the one who was lost back into the fold.

As a primary application we need to see that Jesus' intention with this parable is to wake up some of the Jewish population and get them to recognize that they wandered away from God, rebelled against Him relentlessly.

In the immediate context Jesus is seeking to show Jews that they needed to forsake their rebellion, forsake worshipping idols, forsake the false teachings that put enormous burdens on the covenanted Jewish people... and turn around, turn back to their Heavenly Father and worship Him.

To us now, there are two wider applications we need to consider. First, there are those who are not believing followers of Jesus Christ - but they may be chosen, but outside the sheepfold. It then becomes our responsibility, as ministers of Christ, to go and find them, put them upon our shoulders showing them the Gospel so that the Spirit can work and bring them to the sheepfold.

Second, there are those who are believing Christians but life has become burdensome for them and they have walked out of the sheepfold and out into the world, seeking to "do it on their own." It then becomes our responsibility to go and find them, and again put them upon our shoulders reminding them of the Gospel so that the Spirit can work and bring them back to the sheepfold.

As Christ's shepherds, we need to focus on the heavenly response of such a chosen one being returned home. Jesus says, "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

THE LOST COIN

Jesus has already set the stage for this parable. Lost and Found is the theme. The first parable was about finding and returning the Lost Sheep. Finding the Lost Person who was separated from God by the fall and sin, and returning them back to God.

Luke 15:8-10

The Text:

8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin (Lit. 1 drachma, a day's wage), does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

This parable is about LOST VALUE

The Text Continues:

9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The end of this parable tells it all. "The one who repents" is the key to this parable. The one who turns-around, from facing away from Almighty God to facing Almighty God in redemption. It is this one whom the angels of God rejoice over. The value to God is inestimable! As a person living in this world is it very hard to understand how valuable each one who believes and follows God's Son. Even the angels of God shout for joy when one turns around from this life and makes their commitment to Christ. What a wonderful thought.

Consider just who each of these "lost" ones are who "repent" and return - what is their VALUE to God? They are Children of God, made in His image and likeness. Each on has been born a sinner, and continues to be a sinner, but when their Savior seeks them, they are found, and He carries them into His sheepfold and they become family members (His real children) of the household of Almighty God. They are like lost valuable coins and when they are found there is much rejoicing. It's there in God's heaven that all the other "sheep" and the Angels of Heaven rejoice.

The Prodigal Son

THE TEXT
Luke 15:11-33

We'll take this parable a little at a time as it has many facets. But from the start we must consider Jesus who is telling this story. He's already told two parables about those who belong to God, who have been either personally lost to their Shepherd by "leaving the flock," or their value lost to the One who owns them. In both cases their return is always met with much rejoicing. In our third parable we find an owner (a Father), and two sons. One who rejects his position of sonship, and one who becomes angry and jealous at the acceptance of his brother's repentance and return.

Summarizing the Settings

In the parable of the Lost Sheep The Shepherd leaves the flock to find and rescue the one lost sheep. He places him on His shoulders and carries him home. Once again reminding us that the Shepherd owns the sheep which is lost and found again.

In the parable of the Lost Coin The Woman loses her valuable coin and does everything she can to recover her coin. Again, the woman owns the coin which is lost and found again.

In the parable of the Lost Son the Father's Sons are involved - they are his. One who is lost and returns and one who becomes angry and jealous at the lost brother's return.

What Jesus is saying is that these stories are about those who are owned by God who are lost and they have personal relationship to Him (Shepherd & his Sheep), they have a value relationship to Him (Woman & her Coin), and the Returning to Him brings great rejoicing and multi-faceted rewards.

We are not saying that a believer can lose their salvation and regain it. We are saying that God's plan for every person (whom He already owns from before the foundation of the world)[iv] who repents, turns around toward God and is saved.

The people of the story

11 And He said, “A man had two sons.

Jesus is telling His story about His heavenly Father and what He is like toward His children. These two sons have entirely different personal stories and we'll deal with them separately.

The Background of the story

12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth (Lit. his living) between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

The first son in the story is the younger brother. He has become old enough, and unhappy enough, to go to his father an demand his share (inheritance) of his father's estate. We need to understand that, for whatever reason, he has chosen to not believe in continuing his relationship with his father. I suggest he might be in his early twenties, as that seems to be a pretty common thing at about that age. Too many rules, too much responsibility, a changing social structure - things like that. The father does as his son asks - and there is no comment by Jesus on just how the father felt about all this. We are left with waiting till the end of the story to see where his dad really stood.

Not having any particular world experience the son gathered up his stuff and left for a different country. It seems logical to me that the then Hebrew culture was pretty (excessive) law and order oriented and leaving such a country would be just what a young man getting "out from under" would do.

Also without world experience... the young man "squandered" his estate with "loose living," (Ah, I'm free from all those rules and difficult Jewish customs). I think many of us can identify with that period of our own lives, and perhaps our children and grandchildren as well.

The Moment of Crisis

14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and hired himself out (Lit. was joined) to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the seed-pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

The lack of adult knowledge allowed him to spend everything and not save or invest. When hard times fell he was not prepared to handle them. Even these days, with rising food prices, many are falling behind in their incomes and savings. To his disadvantage, famine struck... and he became impoverished (broke), and had to go to work for a Gentile who raised pigs and wound up eating the pigs food in order to survive as... no one was giving anything to him, a young well-to-do Jewish lad with friends who abandoned him when his money ran out.

Repentance comes with the changed life

17 But when he came to his senses (Lit. himself), he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight (Lit. before you); 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’

Do you remember, a few paragraphs ago, that we said, "We need to understand that, for whatever reason, he has chosen to not believe in continuing his relationship with his father."? Now we can understand the expression, "But when he came to his senses." He reminded himself about how good he had had it back in his father's care. Even his father's workers were well taken care of. "Poor me, I'm starving here!" "I'm going home, at any cost!"

At that time, coming to his senses he says he will tell his father:

"Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."

But he doesn't get a chance to say that to him right away! For...

The Father Sees him from a long way off
The Text:

20 So he got up and came to his father (Lit. his own). But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him (Lit. fell on his neck) and kissed him.

Overcome by the desire to be "home" again and under his father's care and blessing, he returns from that foreign country and as he approaches being just in sight of his home... his father sees him coming. Now, that tells us that his father was waiting and looking for him to return - without being told he would return. Thus is the nature of his father. Many fathers and mothers can relate to this moment. Oh the hope of the return of a wayward child.

At that moment, his father feels... compassion for his lost son and ran to him (apparently foreign to an Old Testament Jewish father), and grabs him and hugs him, and kisses him. Such a grand reception for someone who went off "in a huff." Oh, that so many fathers would welcome their returning children with such affection and understanding. Difficult? Yes, but this father is very special.

The Text

21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Now the son gets his chance to confess his wrongs. "I have sinned against heaven," We wee here that this son has come to the realization that his rebellious actions were actually against the holiness of God, and that it was done so in the sight of his own earthly father as well. He openly admits that, "I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ What a strong statement, and I don't think it is a statement made to acquire privilege, he just means it. He's spent half of his father's inheritance, lived with pigs and ate their food. "Just not worthy to be your son."

The value of our heavenly Father's love for us - and for His Son.

The Text:

22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

Without comment, his father honors his returned son, the best robe, a ring for his hand (perhaps a family signet ring), fresh clean sandals for his feet and then... a banquet in his honor! Wow, what a father he has - Wow, what a heavenly Father we have!

24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

What a sentence this is! Here Jesus tells of His own death and how His Father loves and cares for Him upon His resurrection. "This son of mine was dead and has come to life again; He was lost and has been found." I wonder if Jesus had tears in His eyes as He said this.

It was, and perhaps still is, that in the Jewish culture if a child removed themselves from the care of their parents over some legal issue, the father would declare that son or daughter "dead" to the family, and the separation could sometimes never heal. This Father (Our Father) waits for our return to Him, takes us in His loving arms and hugs and holds us, and carries us into full fellowship upon our return - even when we come back feeling totally unworthy of His love.

The Text:

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 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.’

The party has started without the older son's presence. He was out in the fields working with men and animals keeping the fields so they would be productive. As he returns home he learns of his wayward brother's return - and his father has "received him back safe and sound." Now there's music and dancing...

The Text:

28 But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours (or disobeyed you); and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth (Lit. living) with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me (Lit. are always with me), and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

So here we can begin to focus in on the fuller meaning of the parable that Jesus is telling to the following crowd - a crowd that also contains Pharisees and men sent by them to find deadly fault with what Jesus is saying and doing. There are two kinds of people in the listening crowd - the message concerning the two sons. Those who will hear the clear message of repentance and salvation, and those who will refuse to enter into the fellowship of their God, their heavenly Father, and will instead be devoured by unforgiving anger towards the Son of the Father who returns from the dead.

As I look at the anger the older son experiences I see the long history of the religious leadership who constantly led their people down the lost trail of legalism. I see the anger as he turns to his father and says, "Look!" If I had gone to my father and started an angry sentence with him, I'd find myself sitting on the ground. On top of that is the list he reports: "I've been serving you, I've been obeying you," which, in in terms of God's covenanted nation, they really never did. Then there is the "you never have given me..." when God had always show Israel great gifts and blessings. And he closes with the, "But when THIS son of yours came" you blessed Him and not me. Can you see the prophetic Jewish religious leadership's anger and hostility represented here. The anger against their God for His love and rewards of the Younger Son - who "was dead and has begun to live, and was lost (to me) and has been found!"

Three parables:

(1) One about a lost and then found Possession - The one Possessed by the heavenly Father. Found and presented in great joy and celebration.

(2) One about a lost and then found Value - The one Valued by the heavenly Father. Found and presented in great joy and celebration.

(3) One about a lost and dead Son, then Returned Alive and presented with great joy and celebration.

May each of us learn these lessons well, for it is through them that we can learn of the great fellowship, value, joy and celebration of those who are Lost and then Found. Blessed be our heavenly Father, His Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit as His Book of Life comes to completion.

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS

1. Why has God named His three persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

2. All three parables concern Lost and Found. What do these three parables have in common?

3. In the parable about the Lost Sheep, what's the message there?

4. In the parable about the Lost Coin, what's the message there?

5. In the parable about the Lost Son, what's the message there?

6. What is the difference between the first two parables and the third?

7. What special significance can we see in the third parable?

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS

1. Why has God named His three persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

That is how He wants us to know Him, fellowship with Him, and trust Him. As Father He wants us to know Him in terms of a Perfect Father. As Son He wants us to know Him as the Perfect Son who would give His life for God's people when His Father asked for Him to do so. As Holy Spirit He wants us to know Him as the Perfect source of Holy communication and works in our lives and in the world.

2. All three parables concern Lost and Found. What do these three parables have in common?

First, All three parables deal with something that is Owned which is lost and then found.

Second, all three parables are about people lost and found, not sheep or coins.

Third, all three parables end with great joy and celebration about lost and found people.

3. In the parable about the Lost Sheep, what's the message there?

The end message of this parable states it clearly, "'Rejoice with me (The Shepherd), 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."

4. In the parable about the Lost Coin, what's the message there?

"'Rejoice with me (The Woman), for I have found the coin which I had lost!' In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

5. In the parable about the Lost Son, what's the message there?

"'Son (the older son), you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found."

6. What is the difference between the first two parables and the third?

Parable one and two concern repentance in the context of being lost (unrepentant) and found (repentant). Parable three is concerned with the negative reaction of the Older brother when the Younger brother is repentant (made alive again) after being proclaimed dead.

7. What special significance can we see in the third parable?

Apart from the sin and repentance issues, the language of this parable gracefully show us the picture of Jesus, the Savior, who on behalf of those who were/are lost, was dead and was now alive, "lost (to His heavenly Father) and has been found." Clear images of the days to come for Jesus as He continues His journey to the Cross.

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