The Father's Heart

The Father’s Heart

Luke 15:1–32

Open with prayer.

Pray!

Open your Bible to Luke 15

I don’t think that there is a passage in all of the Bible that explains the heart of God better than Luke 15. And because it demonstrates the Father’s heart, it sets an example for all of us who are fathers.

You have to consider the setting of this chapter in the life and ministry of Jesus. He would eat and drink with sinners and tax collectors. He was willing to go to them instead of waiting for them to come to Him. He wanted them to find forgiveness and hope. He wanted them to find salvation and freedom. But the Pharisees hated Him for this.

We’re told in the opening verses of this chapter:

Luke 15:1–3 ESV

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable:

The Pharisees were the religious people of the day. They were the people who were in church every time the doors were open. They were self-righteous and critical of others. They judged people by their own standards. And they like to grumble.

Not that church people wouldn’t grumble today.

People wouldn’t grumble because we’re trying to update the facility. People wouldn’t grumble because their preferences were being neglected. People wouldn’t grumble because the preacher didn’t shake their hand or say, “Good morning.” People wouldn’t grumble because they aren’t the focus of what we do. People wouldn’t criticize or gossip because they don’t like change, would they?

We should be thankful and even grateful that Jesus addressed these issues. We should be eternally grateful that He welcomes sinners and even those critical of His mission.

Jesus gives this parable in response to the religious people’s criticism. Some would argue that there are actually three parables in Luke 15, the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. But Scripture tells us that Jesus told them this parable, not parables.

This entire chapter is just one big parable and it really shows us our condition and God’s response to it. It shows us how God feels toward us and how we should feel towards others.

In the parable, we basically see two things. First, we see the sinful nature of man. Let’s look at

Man’s Condition

Jesus use three stories to make the same point and the first is about sheep.

Luke 15:4–7 ESV

“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? And 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 that was lost.’ 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.

The first thing we see is that we’re weak, we’re like lost sheep.

weak

One of the most important characteristics of sheep are that they are weak. Now, you have to understand that it isn’t a compliment to be called a sheep. It’s not a good thing Let me share a few things about sheep. First, sheep are

dumb

Sheep are stupid, they’re dumb. They aren’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. There’s a reason Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray.” Sheep can wander off and get lost pretty easily. Most animals will find their way back home, a dog or a cat. But a sheep? No way. It’s just going to wander farther and farther away when it’s left on its own.

And you might think, well I’m not dumb. I didn’t just fall of the turnip truck. I graduated high school. I went to college. I’m educated but that doesn’t matter. You can’t think your way to God.

Romans 3:11

11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

And that’s because sheep are dumb. Next, sheep are

dependent

There’s a reason sheep need a shepherd. Jesus had compassion on the people because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And sheep without a shepherd is going to get into trouble because they are so dependent.

Sometimes a sheep would lie down and roll over onto its back. It wouldn’t be able to get back up on its own. That’s called a cast sheep. But they would just lie there, open game to predators. But it didn’t matter if they were alone. Gases would build up in their stomach and kill them within a few hours if they weren’t helped back upright.

And that’s so often our own condition. We’ve found ourselves in a situation that we can’t get out of. We’re in a position where we’re totally and completely helpless. But the shepherd comes and helps us back onto our feet.

Sheep are dumb. They’re dependent. But they’re also:

defenseless

A sheep has no way to defend itself. A sheep isn’t built for a fight, is it? It doesn’t have claws or super sharp teeth. It can’t even run that fast to get away from predators. A sheep is a defenseless animal. Other animals have a way to defend themselves but sheep, they have nothing.

And on our own, we’re defenseless against the enemy. We can’t defend ourselves; we can’t fight back. We don’t stand a chance, left to our own devices.

And if we didn’t have shepherd, we’d be like a poor sheep, with no hope. That’s why Jesus told the Pharisees, “You want to know why I keep company with tax collectors and sinners? You criticize me for eating and spending time with them. I’ll tell you why I do. They’re like sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus says we’re weak without God. We’re weak without Him. But we also find that our condition is:

worthless

We’re worthless without God.

Luke 15:8–10 ESV

“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? 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.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Jesus moves from speaking about lost sheep to a lost coin. What good is a silver coin, what good is hundred-dollar bill if its lost? You can’t spend it and you can’t put it in the bank. The water company isn’t let you pay your bill with it. It’s worthless.

Not only does no one understand, but that we’re worthless.

Romans 3:12 ESV

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Now, why did God make you? Why were you created? What’s your purpose in life?

It is to spend and be spent for Him. But you aren’t meant to be lost. But if you don’t know Jesus, you’re like a lost coin. You’re out of circulation, not doing what you’re meant to be doing and worthless to your Master.

So, how was this coin lost?

First, it was lost in:

darkness

In order for the woman to find the lost coin, what did she need to do? She had to light a lamp. And the truth is that everyone without Jesus is lost in darkness

John 3:19 ESV

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

I was lost in the darkness, but it was also lost in the

dirtiness

She didn’t just light a lamp, but she went and got a broom and started sweeping the house. Now, you have to wonder about the condition of the house at this point. Think about how much dirt and debris must have been on the floor that you would need a broom to find a gleaming silver coin.

Why? Because the coin was lost in the darkness and dirt. And again, we find a picture of the people Jesus was keeping company with, a picture of us.

Now, you might say, “I don’t live a dirty life. My house is spotless. I’m a good person. I pay my taxes. I give to the church and to different charities. I do good things. I help people. I’m not dirty. I’m a pretty good person.”

But do you know what Scripture says about your righteousness? It tells us that your righteous acts are like filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).

So, you may think you’re good but you’re not. You may think you’re smart. You may think that you’re living a moral and clean life. But your righteousness is like a bunch of filthy rags.

The coin was lost in the dark, in the dirt and it was lost in:

disgrace

Why would Jesus say that there were ten pieces of silver?

To explain the seeming panic over the loss of a single coin, you need to understand that when a woman was first married, she would string ten coins together and wear them across her forehead as a public announcement of her marriage. Because it sometimes took years to save these coins, losing one would be similar to losing the diamond out of one’s wedding ring.

But, if a woman was unfaithful, a coin would be taken out of the middle to show her unfaithfulness and she would live her life in disgrace.

It’s easy to see why this woman is diligently searching for the lost coin because if she doesn’t have it, it would mean disgrace. And it’s Satan’s desire to make your life a disgrace to God.

And here was a coin, lost in the dark, in the dirt and in disgrace. And Jesus is saying, these are the people that I keep company with, that’s what they’re like.

Their condition is weak like lost sheep. They’re worthless like a lost coin and they’re

wretched

They’re wretched like a lost son.

Luke 15:11–12 ESV

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 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.

Basically, what this son is saying is, “I want my inheritance right now. The stuff I was going to get when you die, I’d like to have it now.” And if you think about it, he’s saying, “I wish you were dead. I don’t want you. I want what you can give me.”

He’s just like a lot of people today. They don’t want God but they want to breathe His air. They want to eat His food and live on His earth. They want what God has created; they just don’t want Him.

So, the father gave it to him.

Luke 15:13 ESV

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.

So, the son went and lived the high life while the money lasted. No God in his life. No father in his life.

Luke 15:14–17 ESV

And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “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!

At this point, Jesus is speaking not only of the weakness and worthlessness of theses people, He’s speaking about their wretchedness.

He’s saying, “Look at this boy. He’s left his father’s house. He’s gone into a far away country and lived high on the hog for a while. But his pleasure has turned into poverty. His life is marked by wretchedness.”

What does that look like? First, it’s a life of:

depression

He spent it all. He spent everything he had. Now, listen to me. The costliest thing in the world is sin. When the sone spent it all, sin cost character. It cost influence. It cost reputation. It cost time. It cost health. It cost love. It cost money. It can cost your very soul.

And at some point, it will hit you, right upside the head. It’s a life of depression and a life of:

degradation

When the money ran out, he went to work feeding pigs. I’m sure his friends were around when he had plenty of money but now, he’s alone. And the only work available is taking care of pigs.

Now, for a Jew, a pig is unclean. You can’t eat pork or bacon. You don’t even touch a pig with a ten-foot pole. Pigs were off limits. And we have this Jewish boy, not just feeding the pigs but at the point where he would be happy to eat what they’re eating.

There’s a life of depression, of degradation and a life of:

dissatisfaction

He son is hungry and what he thought would satisfy him didn’t. He’s at the point that he’d be happy to eat what the pigs didn’t. and what Jesus is talking about is the emptiness of a life without God, that dissatisfaction.

You might go out to eat after church today and order filet mignon. But if you don’t God, there’s part of you just like that young man hoping to get a bite of what the pigs were eating. There is a hunger, there is an emptiness inside all of that can only be satisfied by Christ.

Jesus is telling his critics why He keeps company with sinners. They’re weak like a lost sheep. They’re worthless like a lost coin. And they’re wretched like a lost son. That’s mankind’s condition, the sinful nature of man.

We’ve seen our condition. Now let’s look at

God’s saving nature

Jesus is using this parable to teach us what God is like. He’s showing us how God looks on His fallen creation. We see God pictured as a shepherd looking for His sheep. We see God pictured as a woman looking a lost coin. We see God as a Father looking for a lost son.

In the story of the lost sheep we see God’s rescuing nature in the Son.

rescuing

Jesus said in:

Luke 19:10

That’s why He came.

John 10:11 ESV

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus left heaven to seek out the lost. He left heaven and died on a cross to find us and to save us.

Today, Jesus is seeking you today. He’s searching for you. He knows you by name and His desire is to save you. He’s looking for you like shepherd for a lost sheep.

There’s the rescuing nature of the Son. Next, we see the revealing nature of the Holy Spirit in the story of the lost coin.

revealing

The job of the Savior is to seek the lost. But the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing is twofold. First it is

illumination

In the story of the lost coin, the woman lights a lamp. Only the Spirit can illuminate the truth through the Word.

Psalm 119:105 ESV

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Only the Spirit can give us truth.

The Holy Spirit provides illumination and:

interruption

The woman lights a lamp, takes a broom and begins sweeping. The Holy spirit stirs us up. The Holy Spirit interrupts our lives so that we can know Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

The truth is that a lot of people come to church on Sunday but their lives are never interrupted. They’re hearts are never stirred and they’re never moved to respond. We need to pray that God interrupts our lives, that He disturbs us and forces a decision to be made: to be saved or to continue in our lostness.

We see a picture of God here. The Son is receiving. The Holy Spirit is revealing. And God the Father, He’s:

receiving

Now, the son has gone away, living outside of his father’s will. And the father is at home, waiting. Maybe he’s sitting on the front porch. He checks the mail – nothing. Email – zip. He calls the hospitals – nothing. No voicemails. No texts. He hasn’t heard from his son in ages.

He’s wondering about him. He’s been gone a long time. Is he okay? How’s he doing? Did something happen?

And the son, he’s down in the pig pen, hoping to get a little bit of the pig’s slop for dinner and he starts thinking. Those guys who work for my dad. They’re not doing to bad. I’m starving and they have plenty to eat.

And he made a decision. I’ll go back to my father and ask if I could work for him like one of his hired hands.

Now, he didn’t know what his dad would do. Would he turn him away like he had turned his back on his father? Would he refuse to see him?

But his dad is sitting on the front porch, watching and waiting. And he saw someone coming down that dusty road. And at first, he wasn’t sure. Maybe he thought he was seeing things. But after a few seconds, he was certain. It’s his son. His son was coming home.

His heart leapt up into his throat and while his son was still a long way off, he ran out to meet him. His father had compassion for him. He still loved him and wanted him back.

Now, you always see God in the Bible moving in His perfect time, never early and never late. But here we find Him in a hurry running to greet His lost child. He hugged him as tightly as He could. He kissed him and even while His son tried to give his prepared speech, the father shushed him and called for him to be given a ring, the best robe and new shoes.

They would celebrate with a fancy meal. They were going to have a party because his son was dead and now, he’s alive. He was lost and now he’s found. This is time for a celebration!

Jesus is telling those religious people that He keeps company with sinners even though they’re like lost sheep, they’re worthless like a lost coin and wretched like a lost son. He’s telling us that they’re worth it, that they’re still valuable in God’s eyes.

What I want to tell you this Father’s Day is that there is a heavenly Father whose arms are wide open to anybody who wants Him.