Lost and Found (2)

The Heart of Jesus

Verse 1: Jesus sitting with sinners and the tax collectors. Jesus heart is for the lost. Jesus love extends to those whom society has cast off. To those that are unwanted and unloved.

The religious elite among Jesus there segregated themselves from these types of people. They wanted nothing to do with them. This is not anything that was out of Jesus character either. All throughout Luke we see Jesus being around those that are undesirable. This is the very heart of Jesus.

This thought should be at the forefront of our passage here. That Jesus is here for the sinner. He is here for the unwanted, the ones that have been cast out by the Pharasiees and the religious elite crowd.

As a matter of fact that very fact that Jesus is eating with them and gathered in their homes reveals that not only is Jesus here for them but he is also personal with them. He not only wants to see them repent and turn from their sins but he wants to walk with them through their lives.

Grumbling

The church folk in verse 2 heart is very diffrent though. They want nothing to do with them. In fact they are angry that Jesus is even close with them. They desire for him to condemn them and send them away in their sin to never have communion with God.

Look at their language they use here. Not only does Jesus sit with but he receives them. This goes back to the heart of Jesus. They know it, they can see it. They have figured it out just by watching, that Jesus is taking these reprobate people in.

Parables

So Jesus hears this and tells a parable (an earthly story with a heavenly meaning) both of these stories have the same outcome and the same idea behind them. Jesus tells the first one about a man who lost his sheep, he had 100 but 1 goes missing. He leaves the 99 behind and goes and searches high and wide for the 1 and when he finds the 1 he celebrates.

The second is like it, a woman loses a coin and this coin is so valuable to her that she sweeps her house to find it.

Now the extreme of these stories is this, it would be insane to care about 1 sheep that was lost from a heard of 100. While yes it would have resulted in a loss of money for that lamb it wouldnt have been that big of deal. But to the man searching it was a tremoundos deal. So much so that he would leave others behind to find it.

The same for the coin, it wasnt a rare coin that was lost, it would be the equvialent about a days pay, it would have been easy to make it up by just working another day for it. No big deal at all. But to the one looking it was a huge deal so much so that she tore her house apart to find it.

(Prater Story)

The Purpose

Jesus came to save the lost. The cost Jesus paid for the lost is that he laid down His life for us. He went to the cross and shed his blood on a cross and suffered and died so that we wouldnt have too. So that when our faith is placed in Him and Him alone we are saved. In our story Jesus is the shepherd searching, hes the one looking for a lost coin. Because the value that you have is great. The value that humanity has to Jesus is incredible that He would do this.

The Real Lost Ones

The irony of this story is who is actually lost here. The tax collectors and sinners get it, they know they are lost. They are the ones sitting with Jesus, being recieved by Him. Its really those that think they are ok that are lost. Its the ones that dont think they need Jesus, they dont need saving because theyve done all the work themselves and just want to point the finger at everyone else. But the harsh reality is this guys we all need Jesus, their are none who are ok. Their are none who have achieved such greatness that they dont need Jesus. This is Jesus point in these stories, that you need me.

Application

So then what are some things we can take away from this.

You might be in here today and your the 1 sheep that is lost, your the coin that needs to be found and Jesus is standing with his arms open ready to receive you. Put your trust in Him and Him only. You cant achieve it on your own, because He has already done it all.

If you are a Christian then your job is to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the here and now. You and I are to take this news to all who can hear it. Because if we are honest we can be like the Phariasees sometimes. We just want our little slice of Jesus and our feel good moments. Raising our hands in worship and then we just leave it at that. I am here to tell you that is gross to me, if thats we think this is, you have missed it.