Luke 15:1-32
Parable of the Lost Sheep
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 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.
8 “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? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “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! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 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.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “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. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Jesus gives us the Parables of the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep, and the Lost Son...In each of these parables they are about things that are lost...But Jesus is relating these lost things to us, to men and to women...We get lost and lose our path to God...Lost Happens...Our souls are troubled when we are lost and away from our LORD...
When we listen to Jesus teach we see He LOVES the lost, the outcast, the poor, the one who has a troubled soul...He specifically went out and looked for sinners and those who sinned...He looks to find the lost, those that are troubled...
I think He sums all these things up in the Parable of the Lost Son...A rebellious Jewish son who loses very much (of his father's estate) and ends up working for a Gentile and has a low status job of feeding (unclean animals) pigs...But God, the Father, forever seeks those who are lost, and troubled...It is a celebration and rejoicing when one who is lost, who is troubled, comes to his senses and sees just the things that need to be seen, and realizes that we can look forward to something much greater when coming to or back to our Father...And we see the Father runs to the lost, the outcast, the poor, and to those with troubled souls, and graciously forgives them...
Rejoicing happens when the lost is found...And when God finds the lost, He calls His friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with Me; I have found my lost sheep.’...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...And when He find another who is lost He calls His friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with Me; I have found another lost sinner.’...In the same way, Jesus says, "There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."...