‘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.’ ”’ Luke 15:32
Pastor Jeremy continued the sermon series “Redefining Christian” at CrossPoint Church in Niceville, FL. It was a compelling and moving message. I’ve been trying to capture and clarify my thoughts on this sermon series. Here are the links from my prior posts:
This post will focus on the three parables that Jesus told in Luke 15. These parables come after Jesus spoke on the cost of being a disciple. Quite frankly, being called a “Christian” is just lip service without a life change by His teachings.
There is something far more important at play here regarding being a disciple of Jesus.
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.” Luke 15:1-2 NIV
There were two groups of people who were around Jesus when He told these parables:
- Tax Collectors and sinners
- Pharisees and the teachers of the law
‘When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” ‘Mark 2:16-17
This was a reoccurring theme in the ministry of Jesus.
Parable #1 – The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Jesus)
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? 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.’ 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. Luke 15:3-7 NIV
This parable is a reflection of what Jesus did for us when He emptied Himself and left heaven to come and get us willingly. And He fully paid the price for our sins. “And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.”
What else did Jesus carry on His shoulders? The cross. He bore us and our sins as He was nailed to the cross.
He carries the message of hope to those “tax collectors and sinners” who had no hope up to this point. And for the religious leaders and teachers, who felt it was about the “do’s” and “don’ts,” do not think they need to repent because it is about their performance.
Parable #2 – The Parable of the Lost Coin (Holy Spirit)
“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? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10 NIV
When we accept Jesus into our hearts, the Holy Spirit comes and resides in our hearts. The work of the Spirit is to guide us back to Jesus continually.
“Light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it.”
There is a perfecting process that takes place in our salvation. This is the process of the Spirit working in our lives to make us more like Jesus.
‘In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ‘ Philippians 1:4-6
An exciting by-product of submitting our lives to the prompting of the Spirit is that we can help to bring about the coming of the Lord sooner than later.
‘Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. ‘ 2 Peter 3:11-13
Parable #3 – The Parable of the Lost Son (Our Heavenly Father)
‘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. “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. ‘ Luke 15:11-13
The two sons in this story refer to two audiences that Jesus addresses. The younger son is a picture of the “tax collectors and sinners.” While the older son references the “religious leaders.”
In those days, birth order was important because it determined the amount of inheritance they would get. In this case, with two sons, the older son would get 2/3rds while the younger son would get 1/3rd.
With the younger son asking for his inheritance now, it was as if he was saying, “I wish you were dead.”
Also, in those days, the culture was one of honor and shame.
The younger son’s request would have been considered insulting to the father. And the area where they lived would have known about it as well.
‘After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. ‘ Luke 15:14-16
After he had blown his money, he found himself at rock bottom, feeding pigs which would have been the lowest of the low in his day. He wasn’t even making enough money to buy food. He entertained eating the pods he was feeding the pigs, which would have killed him.
The religious leaders in the audience would have been thinking to themselves, he is getting what he deserves for what he had done to his father.
‘”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: 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.’ 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. ‘Luke 15:17-20
By God’s grace, he came to the end of himself. Ashamed and humbled, he headed back to his father. He rehearsed what he was going to say to his father. And set off for home.
“But while he still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him;”
I could picture that the father was looking out on the horizon every day with the hope that his son would return to him. And today, he saw him, and “he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
A couple of things here:
It was undignified for a man of his age to run in that day. He probably had his robe pulled up so that his legs could get full motion. But why would he run?
Back in those days, the communities were tight. We like to say that “it takes a village.” In those days, it was true.
It would not have been uncommon in the day of the honor/shame culture for people to have stoned that young man for what he had done to his father.
But when his father ran out and threw his arms around him and kissed him, this diffused that possibility.
‘”The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “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. 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. ‘Luke 15:21-24
It wasn’t important to the father what his son was saying; he wanted to restore his son to his position. And the celebration began! They only butchered the fattened calf for very special occasions, and to the father, this was a very special event.
‘”Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 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. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ’My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 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.’ ” ‘Luke 15:25-32
The older son couldn’t understand why his father would be celebrating the return of his no-good brother. After all, he was always there working for his father very dutifully. Where was his celebration?
As Pastor Jeremy preached today, “God values our presence over our performance.“
The father wanted his son’s presence.
He received the one back that he thought was lost.
But for the son, that was always there; he measured everything by what he had done for his father.
As disciples of Jesus, we have to be cautious not to make it about what we are doing or not doing that makes the difference with our Heavenly Father.
This theme is illustrated in Luke 10:
‘As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”’ Luke 10:38-42
Heavenly Father, I pray that You help me be present with You.
I thank You for sending Jesus to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.
From the beginning, Your promise was never dependent on anything other than us accepting Jesus, and for us who have, it is even by Your hands that we have that faith.
I pray that You continue to work in my heart.
I pray that my thoughts and actions align with Your will for my life.
In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
