Part 3 - Parables about Lostness
Short Stories of Yeshua • Sermon • Submitted
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· 28 viewsBig Idea: You will never let something stay lost that you truly value.
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Me: If there is anything that drives me bonkers is that moment, I realize I have lost something. And, on the other hand, there is nothing that makes me feel better than I when I find the thing that I lost!
I have lost lots of stuff:
Me: If there is anything that drives me bonkers is that moment, I realize I have lost something. And, on the other hand, there is nothing that makes me feel better than I when I find the thing that I lost!
We just moved, I don’t know were anything is.
I have lost my car
I have lost my wallet
I have lost my keys.
I have lost socks.
I have lost my step-dad. When he first died I, too, felt lost: adrift, disoriented, absent. Or perhaps it would be more apt to say that I was at a loss—a strange turn of phrase, because when I loose something or someone I truly value I feel incomplete, disoriented, lame in one foot, at a loss.
The point is
You will never let something stay lost that you truly value.
We: No wonder losing things, even trivial things, can be so upsetting. Regardless of what goes missing, loss puts us in our place; it confronts us with lack of order and loss of control and the fleeting nature of existence.
Bible: The three parables today, have often been labeled “Things that go missing and get found.” As a matter of fact, these three stories make up the backbone for most Christian testimonies. He left the 99 sheep to come and rescue me or I was the prodigal son who ran home to the Father’s love. Rarely, does anyone say I was the coin that went missing but maybe there are some that do.
I want to tell you today that your story and experience is 100% real and what I am going to say today should not change that one single bit at all. No one can take your narrative of redemption away from you.
What I am going to say today is going to challenge some long standing mis-interpretations of the three parables. Interpretations that failed to take the context, context, context seriously and failed to understand these three short stories by a peasant Jewish rabbi named Yeshua.
Grab your copy of the Scriptures and say it with me like you mean it.
Ha-foke-bah
Ha-foke-bah
De-Cola-bah
Ha-foke-bah
Ha-foke-bah
Mashiach-bah
Turn-it and turn-it everything you need is in it. Turn-it and turn-it the Messiah is in it.
We have before us today three different parables that are all tied together by a common theme. A sheep, a coin, and a son are lost to a shepherd, a woman, and a father respectively. And, after the discovery of lostness, a search begins, the object found and there is a party. Well, two of them have that story line, but the third one adds a couple of twists. The boy is not lost, he leaves, the Father does not search for him the boy comes home, though there is a party, the story ends on a somber note, a father and elder son standing there in silence, awkward silence, no resolution, no singing, just standing there.
So we have been told, when I say we, I mean those of us who have read books on the parables that these are parables of God’s redemption through the Messiah. The Shepherd who leaves the flock of 99 for the 1 is the Messiah, the prodigal son is you and the Father is God who has unconditional love while the older brother most obviously is either religion (Tim Keller) or Judaism represented by the Pharisees. Not much has been sung or taught about the woman loosing a coin because I guess theologians, predominantly mail, don’t like the ideal of a female analogy when it comes to speaking about God or Messiah. However, for the sake of consistency, I would charge them that if you say the Shepherd is Messiah, the Father, God the Father, then the woman must also be a representation for God and or Messiah.
We are convinced about this interpretation. So convinced that Corey Asbury’s song, “Reckless Love” broke Spotify. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine. So convinced that it made Tim Keller’s Bible study “The Prodigal God” a best seller amongst evangelicals.
What if that is not what Yeshua’s original audience heard? What if they heard something very different?
Remember, context, context, context.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to hear Yeshua. The Pharisees and the Torah scholars began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Luke 15:
First, when we read tax collectors and sinners we have been trained automatically read a stereotype of the person who has “abandoned the law of God totally and completely.” And the Pharisees, are the rigid legalists who just walk around looking for someone to condemn.
That is not accurate to history nor the Bible. In Luke’s Gospel, tax collectors go up to John the Baptist and say
Tax collectors also came to him to be immersed. “Teacher,” they said to him, “what should we do?”
They affirm John’s ministry and were immersed by him
And when all the people heard, even the tax collectors, they affirmed God’s justice, because they had been immersed with John’s immersion.
They pray in the Temple
“Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The problem with tax collectors was not that they denied God’s covenant; they worked for Rome and many people saw this as being a traitor to the Jewish people.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to hear Yeshua. The Pharisees and the Torah scholars began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Sinner are not “outcasts” either; they in Luke’s gospel are not cast out of the synagogue. Usually, they are presented as wealthy people who only care about themselves and not the greater Jewish community.
And he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do! I’ll tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I’ll store all my grain and my goods.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to hear Yeshua. The Pharisees and the Torah scholars began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
The Pharisees were very well respected by the people at large compared to the priestly class. Let me help you hear little differently.
The Pharisees and the Torah Scholars began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes Jewish traitors and Jewish elitist who care nothing for the common good our people. He is not for our people.”
And, I want you to remember something about each of these three parables:
The sheep was not expelled for grazing on nonkosher grass.
The coin was not cast out for bearing the image of Caesar.
The prodigal son was not cast out, he walked out.
Here is my point once you read the word “outcast” into these parables you will miss the Jewish context of these stories.
“Which man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it?
This story presupposes a person of some means.
It is those who have who are like to have things go missing.
I think the audience would have applauded the Shepherd for noticing that one sheep out of 100 went missing. 100 sheep is a lot to spot just one gone. It is easy if there are just 4 to spot one missing. It is less easy, mabye impossible, to spot one out of a hundred. How many people would spot one coin in a mason jar of a 100 missing? Or one daisy in a field of a 100 daisy’s that it is missing.
There is a very wise old saying
The Shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find 1 will have, at the end of the day, only one sheep.
“Which man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it?
Our shepherd leaves and goes until he finds the sheep. Most people, now and then, agree this is fool hearted move. But it is like i said earlier
You will never let something stay lost that you truly value.
Here is where the story gets interesting.
When he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luke 15
I must have read this wrong, surely this is a scribal error. Shouldn’t it read
“When he found it, the sheep bahhhed in repentance, and took up his cross and followed Him home.”
When he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
The picture is of a sheep that wants to stay lost, fluffy does not want to come home. Fluffy likes it where he is. The Shepherd has to put him on his shoulders. The shepherd is happy not the sheep. You get the picture of the sheep saying, Let me down, let me down and the Shepherd justs smiling, smiling, smiling.
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, for I’ve found my sheep that was lost!’
Luke 15:
I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one repenting sinner than over the ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”
Here we go Yeshua said there 99 righteous people who don’t need to repent, so that must mean the 1 sheep was repentant therefore...
Wait, wait, wait. Who was the central character of the parable? Who was the person doing all the verbs? The Shepherd. Who was the one initially oblivious to the fact that one sheep went missing? The Shepherd.
The sheep did not come to himself and find his way home, the Shepherd realized a sheep went missing and went on a mission to find him.
The parable presents a main figure - the shepherd, not the sheep - who realizes he has lost something of value and now will do whatever it takes to get it back.
Repentance - doing whatever it takes to make the flock complete. Doing whatever it takes to restore a person who has been lost to you.
This is not a parable about Yeshua the Shepherd, this is a parable about you the Shepherd, it is a parable about you doing whatever it takes to restore a person who has been lost to you.
Luke 15:8-
“Or which woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I’ve found the coin 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.”
Read and explain coins and woman. Who is repentant.
Repentance - doing whatever it takes to make the purse complete. Doing whatever it takes to restore a person who has been lost to you.
Context, Context, Context
Sinners who might overlook one missing thing be like a shepherd who cares about that one person that has been lost to you.
Tax-Collectors who collect coins for Rome be like a woman who cares about that one person that has been lost to you.
Then Yeshua said, “A certain man had two sons,
You
and the younger of them said to the father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that comes to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.
“Not many days later, the younger son gathered everything and traveled to a far country, and there he squandered his inheritance on wild living.
Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine came against that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to fill up on the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one was giving him any.
“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food overflowing, but here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up and go to my father, and I’ll say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers. “And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and felt compassion. He ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
Biblically literate people would have heard an echo of Pharaoh in Junior.
Then Pharaoh quickly called for Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against Adonai your God and against you.
Junior is no more repentant than Pharaoh.
David Buttrick summarizes Junior’s strategy, “I’ll go to Daddy and sound religious.”
“And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and felt compassion. He ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let’s celebrate with a feast!
For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life—he was lost and is found!’ Then they began to celebrate.
We expect youngest children to be the hero of the story in Jewish stories but is Junior really sincere.
“Now his older son was out in the field. And as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
And he called out to one of the servants and began to ask what these things could be.
“The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got him back safe and sound.’
“But the older son was angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came outside and pleaded with him.
Significant Clue!!!
“But the older son was angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came outside and pleaded with him.
Listen to the answer:
But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look, so many years I’ve slaved away for you—not once did I ignore your order. Yet you’ve never given me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
But when this son of yours came—the one who has squandered your wealth with prostitutes—for him you killed the fattened calf!”
The elder son’s words reflect his feelings of alienation, lostness.
“Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luke 10:36
Which of these three seems to you a neighbor to the one attacked by robbers?”
The Prodigal - Those who give lip service to God
The Father - Pharisees who love people who look, talk, and act like them.
“But you are not to be called rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man on earth your father; for One is your Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Messiah.
Matthew 23:8-
The Prodigal - Those who give lip service to God
The Father - Pharisees who love people who look, talk, and act like them.
The Elder - Imperfect tax-collectors, and sinners who do love God but are alienated, overlooked, not highly prized to the Pharisees.
Now let’s hear the last words
“Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that is mine is yours. But it was right to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has come back to life! He was lost, but is found.’ ”
But the younger son was never lost, he walked. He was never found, he came back. He was never dead, he was living the life he wanted.
That Father says everything is his but he does not really mean it. The Elder son never felt it.
You will never let something stay lost that you truly value but the Father denies the elder son’s words and the elder son remains lost to Him because he does not truly value him.
At the end of each of two of the stories
I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one repenting sinner than over the ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
There is just a happy father ignoring the words, the feelings of lostness, of his eldest son in a field, outside of a party.
This was for the Pharisees to feel. There is no resolution like the other stories. Just a simple and profound point:
Recognize the one you have lost is standing right in front of you and you created that feeling of lostness.
You will never let something stay lost that you truly value.
These parables were not meant to primarily point us to God’s love for us. Thought it is true that you are so highly valued by God that God would not let you stay lost.
You are so highly valued by God that God would not let you stay lost because His flock, his family is incomplete without you.
John
That is exactly what teaches
“I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not from this fold; those also I must lead, and they will listen to My voice. So there shall be one flock, one Shepherd.
but not the parables. They are teaching us something for us
Care about people who are lost to you especially those who are lost to you because of you.
Conclude:
Orah story or my story or another story.