Title: Beyond the 99: Embracing the Upside-Down Perspective of the Kingdom (Luke 15:1-10)

1. I still remember hearing a parable when I was nine. It was about a lazy man who didn't want to work hard.  He'd eat and then immediately fall asleep. One day, his mother, hoping to teach him a lesson, invited a teacher to their home.  The teacher observed the man's behavior and warned him, "If you fall asleep right after eating, you'll turn into a cow!  Only after you've worked through three harvests will you become human again."  But the man didn't pay attention.  Sure enough, one day after lunch, he fell asleep as usual and actually turned into a cow!  He tried to tell his mother what had happened, but she couldn't understand him. Sadly, he had to go out to the fields and work diligently until he finally turned back into a human. 

This isn't a true story, of course. It's a parable, a story used to teach a lesson, in this case, the importance of hard work.  We often use stories like this to effectively communicate a point, to emphasize something, or to illustrate an idea.  The Bible, particularly the Gospels, is full of parables, especially those told by Jesus Christ. He frequently used parables to teach.  In Luke 15, we find three such parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son (or the parable of the father's love). Today, I'll focus on the first two parables, and we'll discuss the prodigal son next Sunday. Let's start by reading Luke 15:1-10.

Luke 15:1–4 NASB 2020

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to complain, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” And so He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the other ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

Luke 15:5–7 NASB 2020

And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

Luke 15:8–10 NASB 2020

“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the coin which 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.”

2. Last week, I discussed hyperbole, an element of parables where something is exaggerated for emphasis, like Jesus's example of a speck in the eye. Another element we find in parables is paradox, or what we might call a counter-story. These are stories or examples that go against common understanding or social norms. Jesus often used paradoxes, like associating with sinners and the sick, or breaking Sabbath regulations.

John 5:8–10 NLT

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

3. Understanding the elements of a parable or story can greatly enhance our appreciation and comprehension.  While these narratives often weave together multiple literary devices, recognizing them can illuminate the deeper meaning.  For instance, hyperbole, the use of exaggeration for emphasis, can effectively highlight a key teaching point.  Similarly, a contrasting or counter-story can clarify the lesson by presenting a foil to common or expected ideas.  Finally, the artful use of rhetoric contributes to the overall flow and impact of the narrative, shaping how the lesson is received and understood.  By paying attention to these elements, we can unlock the richness and wisdom embedded within these stories. 

Today's passage in Luke 15 presents a paradox, a counter-story that challenged the common Jewish understanding of the first century. Jesus used these three parables to emphasize God's work and his own mission on earth. Looking at the context of Luke 15, we can see a three-part structure:

The work of Jesus, the Son of God, as the Shepherd (verses 1-7) 

The work of the Holy Spirit, searching our hearts and guiding us to understand God's will (verses 8-10)

The work of God the Father, who loves us, saves us, and welcomes us (verses 11-32)

4. The first two parables, the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin, seem odd at first glance.  In everyday life, we wouldn't normally focus so much on a single lost sheep or coin.  Economically speaking, 99 sheep are clearly more valuable than one.  We're taught that if we can make more money, it's acceptable to lose something small along the way.  Similarly, if we lose a silver coin, the equivalent of a day's wage, and we still have nine more, we probably wouldn't bother searching for it.  Realistically, we might even make more money by investing the time spent searching, rather than looking for the lost coin.  This is the common, worldly perspective today. This, however, is a paradox of the Kingdom perspective. Jesus used this paradox, combined with hyperbole, to emphasize the immense value of even one individual. 

Luke 5:32 ESV

I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Mark 2:17 NASB 2020

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

5. There are different ways to understand holiness, both philosophically and theologically. Philosophically, one approach is to modify our behavior to adhere to certain criteria. Another is to maintain holiness by preventing or excluding unholy people or things from our holy group. Theologically, however, these aren't the paths to holiness.  Holiness, in a theological sense, comes from being in Christ Jesus and recognizing our new relationship with God. It's not about ethical adjustments, but about entering into a special relationship with God.  That said, the Pharisees and Jewish religious leaders in the first century focused on keeping themselves separate from anything they considered unholy.  They believed that this separation was the only way to maintain their holiness, a holiness they assumed they possessed simply by virtue of being chosen by God. 

Deuteronomy 7:3–4 NASB 2020

Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them: you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, and they will serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you.

Numbers 19:13 NASB 2020

Anyone who touches a dead body, the body of a person who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from Israel. Since the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he will be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.

6. Based on these examples, the religious leaders chose not to come closer to the unholy people or things. Instead of spreading the holiness to make unholy holy, they chose to keep their holy only. Honestly, it is not God’s purpose when he talked about being Holy. Instead, God wanted Israel know their new relationship and identity in God. 

Exodus 19:5–6 NIV

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

7. Spreading holiness isn't just about intellectual understanding or teaching; it requires lived experience.  When Israel began their journey, following God's commands (despite their frequent disobedience and complaining in the wilderness), people witnessed God's power.  They themselves testified to hearing and experiencing God's actions.

Joshua 2:8–9 NKJV

Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.

Joshua 2:10–11 NKJV

For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

8. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking holiness is only about maintaining separation.  I remember when I was 14, I went to church with a friend, and we were playing a game in the sanctuary.  Without thinking, we went up to the pulpit without taking off our shoes.  An elder saw us and sharply rebuked us, saying we were defiling God's holy temple and things. We were shocked, and my friend was really upset. He never went back to church after that, and he's still not a believer today. 

9. This attitude of separation was common in first-century Judea. The Pharisees and scribes avoided contact with those they considered unholy. They refused fellowship with them, even though they were religious leaders responsible for caring for those very people. It was in this climate that Jesus told these parables.  He emphasized his desire to find the one lost sheep, not just care for the 99. Jesus wasn't following an economically sound approach, but God's way. He didn't choose the seemingly effective path, but what looked foolish from a human perspective. We can easily imagine the reaction: who would bother searching for one lost sheep when they had 99 safe?  But Jesus declared that the Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, will find the lost sheep.

John 10:11 CEB

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

John 10:14 NIrV

“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me.

10. Whenever we read this passage, it's easy to identify ourselves with the 99 sheep, not the lost one.  But if we think this way, we risk becoming like the Pharisees.  If we assume we're among the 99, we might become preoccupied with maintaining our own perceived holiness.  The truth is, we could be the lost sheep Jesus is searching for. And we are also called to be shepherds ourselves, seeking the lost with God's heart. If we focus only on the 99, we lose God's perspective, because the Kingdom perspective is an upside-down perspective, a reversal of worldly thinking.

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 NLT

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

11. Similarly, each of us is the lost coin, not simply one among the nine. Because we are the lost coin, God has been diligently searching for us. God desires our hearts for his name's sake.  Understanding this, we can help others come to Him. We can welcome those who are lost. As mentioned earlier, we can consider the role of the Holy Spirit in this parable. The Holy Spirit identifies our weaknesses and helps us recognize God as our Father.

Romans 8:26–28 LBP

And in the same way—by our faith—the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we don’t even know what we should pray for nor how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.

12. In our daily lives, we truly cannot sustain ourselves without the Holy Spirit's help. Last year, I traveled to South Korea to assist Pastor Peter with his neck surgery. We had booked the same flight, scheduled to depart two days after I finished a summer outreach at Key First Nation. However, due to a flight strike, my ticket was canceled and I was rebooked without notification on a flight after Pastor Peter had already arrived in Korea. I received this news late at night and was understandably shocked. The next morning, on my way home from Key First Nation, I prayed fervently for the Lord's help, specifically asking for the Spirit's guidance. I then contacted the airline. To my surprise, they asked me which flight I preferred. I quickly searched and found a flight for the very next day. This meant that upon arriving home, there would be no rest; we would have to immediately pack for a midnight departure to Regina. While packing, we panicked again because Minju couldn't find her Permanent Resident card – essential for leaving Canada. We prayed again, and after an hour of searching, the Spirit helped us find it. Indeed, the Holy Spirit understands our weaknesses and provides us with the help we need.  This is why we can confidently proclaim God as our Father. And just as our Father cares for the sparrows in the sky, we can be certain He cares for us as well.

Matthew 6:25–26 NASB 2020

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?

13. The Holy Spirit's work is to search our hearts, revealing to us who God is and all He has done for us.  When the Spirit finds us, He leads us into the Kingdom of Heaven, awakening us to our new identity in Christ.  Through this revelation, we can confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God as our Father, and the Holy Spirit as our helper and guide.  Without the Spirit's assistance, we remain unaware of our own weaknesses.  Therefore, the Spirit's help is also an expression of God's redeeming grace in Christ. 

These two parables show us what happens when God finds the lost sheep and the lost coin.  Though they were originally his own, he doesn't focus on the loss. Instead, he celebrates with a party in heaven, and God is filled with joy.

Luke 15:7 TPT

Jesus continued, “In the same way, there will be a glorious celebration in heaven over the rescue of one lost sinner who repents, comes back home, and returns to the fold—more so than for all the righteous people who never strayed away.”

14. We were once lost, but God found us through Jesus Christ. We were outside of God's family, but now, because of Jesus, we belong. God rejoiced when we turned from sin and came back to Him through Jesus. There was a party in heaven when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. We are God's holy people, His treasured possession.  Therefore, God wants us to welcome those who are still outside of His family. He wants us to seek the lost with His perspective. We should live holy lives, not just maintain a show of holiness, so that the world can see who we are and what God has done for us. Let us never stop following God's way. God will be glorified through our holy lives when we live them out authentically.