Lost Sheep, Lost Silver & Lost Sons (Luke 15:1-24)
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Lost Sheep (verses 4-7)
This straying sheep’s life is already in danger, being disoriented and defenseless. The shepherd doesn’t hire someone else to go looking for it, but he himself goes after his sheep. It might seem like preferential treatment is given to the poor lost sheep at the expense of the others, but when we consider it from the vantage point of the other 99, we can see how this would cause them to feel even more secure. Their shepherd is willing to rescue each and every one of them from any and all danger, and as a result not a single individual among them need feel insecure. When he finds the sheep, the shepherd doesn’t simply leash it back or drive it with his rod, but he carries it, covered in all the filth it had been wallowing in, on his shoulders all the way home. This man rejoices with his friends and neighbors because the purpose of the search was accomplished: the lost sheep was found, the other sheep were comforted, and the shepherd was joyful. Jesus is pointing out that these Pharisees, who would rejoice over a found sheep, remain reluctant regarding the repentance of notorious sinners. Jesus wasn’t suggesting that these Pharisees had no need of repentance, but rather He was revealing that they felt no need to repent.
– Though we, like this sheep, have all gone astray and become disoriented and defenseless because of sin, our Good Shepherd caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him as he bore the weight of our sin on his shoulders on the cross (Isaiah 53:6). Every lost sinner who rests on the strong arms of the crucified Christ will be carried by Him all the way home to God.
Lost Silver (verses 8-10)
This lost silver was worth one day’s wages, so it makes sense that the woman would search the house to find it. The lost coin did not lose any value just because it was lost. However, it was not useful as long as it remained lost. In the same way, for those who are not in Christ, they are not less valuable, but they are useless in the Kingdom and void of their purpose until they are found in Christ. There are none so worthless or useless that the Lord Himself, out of genuine concern, would not rescue and save. The story is not really about searching for a silver coin, but about going into all the world to find lost sinners. The woman’s searching will only work one way: she has to light a lamp in the darkness, sweep the dust up, and look carefully in every corner of the house. In our going, we must be committed to the one way we have been commanded: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” As the gospel goes forth, the perfect joy of heaven increases with every lost sinner saved.
– How does the awareness that all of heaven rejoices at your spiritual good affect the way you view your own spiritual good? Knowing that heaven rejoices because you have been saved and have found joy in Christ, can you remain passive or indifferent with regard to your own joy in Christ? How does this affect the way you view the people around you that are still “lost coins?”
Lost Sons (verses 11-32)
Of the different lost items in this parable, we can relate most easily with the prodigal son. Unlike the sheep that is lost haphazardly, or the silver that was lost helplessly, the son in this story is lost willfully. Having wasted about 1/3 of the entirety of his father’s wealth, this rebellious son finds himself helpless, homeless, hungry, and humiliated. When he finally acknowledges that his situation was due to his own deliberate disobedience, he decides that he will return home in order to become a hired servant to his father. This is conviction, but it is not conversion. He is thinking like a servant and making demands on his father such as, “Make me as one of your hired men.” By doing this, he plans to save himself by keeping his own rules. But this young man’s problem is not just squandered money or broken laws; the primary problem is a broken relationship with his father. However, when the son arrives instead of making demands or hoping in self-determined strategies, there is instead simply a confession of guilt and relying on mercy. The father’s response, who had apparently been waiting and longing for his son’s return, did not utter a single word about the sin and offered no rebuke to his son. Instead he celebrates with a feast and gives him a robe as a mark of honor, a ring as a sign of authority, and sandals as evidence of sonship as distinguished from a servant.
– What stands out to you most in the father’s response to the return of his lost son? What does this tell you about the character of our Father?
– Just like this young man in the parable, our problem is not primarily the effects of our sin, but a broken relationship with our Father. Are you relating to God as a Father who is merciful and willing to forgive even the most rebellious of His children, or are you still trying to relate to God as a hired servant, seeking to be restored through self-determination and your own works?