Seeking the Lost (Luke 15)

DAD JOKES

One day I was in the park wondering why frisbees kept get BIGGER…but then it hit me.

What if cats have been trying to tell us they are are in pain their entire lives...”me-ow”.

What do you call a bear with no teeth?…a gummy bear.

I was going to tell a time travel joke…but you didn’t like it.

Luke 15:1–2 (NIV)

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

As should be obvious, Jesus’ willingness to spend time with sinners was NOT a good thing in the eyes of these religious leaders.

Tax collectors were viewed as traitors to their people, selling out their family to collect taxes for the Romans plus taking extra for themselves - stealing from their own people. Because of this, synagogues would not accept their money and their testimony was not valid in Jewish courts. They were considered worse than people from the pagan nations.

Beyond that, Jesus welcomed other sinners whom the religious leaders avoided. Rather than try to influence them for good, these Pharisees stiff-armed them.

This contrast between the Jesus & the the religious leaders meant they both couldn't be right.

From their perspective, the religious leaders had 2 options:

Either Jesus had it right and we must change our methods and rub shoulders with tax collectors and sinners

OR We have it right and Jesus is a false prophet who affirms these sinners & their sinful actions.

In order to clarify WHY Jesus would spend time with these “sinners”, Jesus crafts one of the most incredible collection of stories ever told.

Luke 15:3–4 (NIV)

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

Anyone who owned a flock of sheep would understand why a good shepherd who cares for the welfare of his sheep would leave the 99 who are safe to search for the one who is lost.

Further, Jewish people understood these terms because God had placed leaders in Israel - whom He called ‘shepherds’ - to take care of His flock. But Ezekiel 34 demonstrates how these shepherds had failed the people, not caring for them.

Ezekiel 34:4–5 (NIV)

You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.

God was ANGRY at these shepherds who didn’t care about the sheep. And since they wouldn’t take the time to shepherd the sheep, God says...

Ezekiel 34:15–16 (NIV)

I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

And now - 600 years after these words spoken thorugh Ezekiel, Jesus of Nazareth shows up and calls Himself ‘The Good Shepherd’ (John 10:14). Jesus continues His story of the lost sheep…

Luke 15:5–6 (NIV)

And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

Notice what the Shepherd does. He Seeks, He Finds, He Celebrates.

Then Jesus makes the eternal connection to the earthly story.

Luke 15:7 (NIV)

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

You see, according to Jesus,

BIG TRUTH: ONE Transformed Life is Worthy of the Search

And there’s a party over one who repents - more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

A party in heaven...over ONE? Yep! Then Jesus tells another story to make the point crystal clear.

Luke 15:8–10 (NIV)

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

[v9] And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’

[v10] In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

There it is again: now it's a Woman who Seeks, Finds, Celebrates. And Jesus' audience once again hears that

BIG TRUTH: ONE Transformed Life is Worthy of the Search

But Jesus isn’t done. He has ONE MORE STORY that is sure to spark controversy - a story you have probably heard before.

Luke 15:11–12 (NIV)

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

To the Jewish audience listening to Jesus’ story, 2 points would have stood out:

FIRST, a father would NOT divide the estate too early as the young, immature man who might waste his inheritance rather than use it wisely. While we are used to a pushing a child out of the nest to pursue fortune in another city, in Jesus’ culture it was shameful for a son to abandon his obligation to care for his father in his old age.

And sure enough, verses 13-16 tell us that he leaves his family, goes to a pagan land, squanders his wealth on wild living, and has nothing when a famine comes.

SECOND, This guy is SO DESTITUTE that he works for a Gentile man by feeding pigs - to the Jew this was a foul, unclean animal. On top of that, the pigs are eating better than HE is, and he is starving. This young man was at the bottom of the bottom - hungry & ashamed.

But...He has ONE glimmer of hope.

Luke 15:17–18a (NIV)

When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him:

Maybe his Dad will take him back - not as a son - he doesn’t deserve that - but as a servant - because…after all…at least the servants have plenty of food. So he develops an apology and envisions that it will go like this:

Luke 15:18b–19 (NIV)

Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’

It’s a good plan…

Luke 15:20 (NIV)

So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The son put his plan into action:

Luke 15:21 (NIV)

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

This young man KNOWS he doesn’t deserve the father’s love. The son is thinking he could never be restored to sonship, because he's gone too far.

Josh Piazza call. Talked with a former student - disobeyed God, been to prison, he was very concerned that he had committed the unpardonable sin by denying Jesus with his words…and he’s asking - can God REALLY forgive me? Look how Jesus answers that!

But this son who had come to beg to be a servant could even finish completing his sentence ....

Luke 15:22–24 (NIV)

But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it.

[v23b-24] Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

There it is one more time: Although the son comes home & repents, the Father Sees Him, Runs to Him, and Celebrates his return.

And if you continued to read, NOT EVERYONE in the story was so elated. The older brother was ANGRY that the Father would forgive so fully…just LIKE the religious leaders were ANGRY that Jesus offered forgiveness to the tax collectors and sinners. Rather than celebrating for others they are sulking for themselves.

GROUP QUESTIONS

I want you to notice some important truths from these 3 stories, so I want to ask you a question and have you help answer it.

WHO does the lost sheep, coin, son represent? WHO SEEKS, FINDS, & STARTS the CELEBRATION over the lost sheep, coin, son?

Jesus is the ONE who seeks, finds, & starts the celebration!

I love to talk with new believers and ask these same questions…

- WHO does the lost sheep, coin, son represent? That’s YOU! Then to ask…

- WHO SEEKS, FINDS, & STARTS the CELEBRATION over the lost sheep, coin, son? That’s not an angel…that’s the one who was seeking the lost!!!

THIS is WHY Jesus came…Seeking the Lost! Because

BIG TRUTH: ONE Transformed Life is Worthy of the Search

That is the message YOU should consider - YOU are the LOST ONE…a sinner who the Savior came to find!

He is WORTHY of your life!

Have you surrendered to THE ONE who has been seeking you?

Who are you sharing this good news with?