For the one lost (Luke 15a)*

For the one lost

Luke 15:1-10

Key Verse – Luke 15:10

Introduction:

Until now, the main subject of Jesus’ teaching was how to follow him as his disciples. In today’s passage, Luke includes Jesus’ teachings on how to be a disciple in light of his role as a shepherd for the sheep. It also centers on how we are to relate with those who are living under the darkness of sin. The Old Testament teaches this without any ambiguity, as is well represented in this passage:

“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 13:20).

The Pharisees and teachers of the Law upheld this principle and showed  contempt and disdain toward these sinners. However, this was the golden rule for how to avoid sin from getting into our lives; because of this, people see and relate with sinners through this periscope. But is this right all the time? It may be good for protecting ourselves from ungodly influences, but such a narrow view fails to fulfill what God means to do through our lives. Jesus revealed God’s perspective on sinners and we are to learn this from him also, as his disciples.

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.” (Luke 15:1).

Once, probably in the early stages of his ministry, Jesus called a tax collector named Levi. He was so happy to be accepted by Jesus, that he held a big dinner party and invited Jesus with his company, in addition to many of his friends and fellow tax collectors. These tax collectors either had contracts with King Herod or the Roman government to collect taxes from the people of Israel and a certain percentage of the collected monies was then given to either the Roman authorities or King Herod. Tax collectors ran this system like a business and most often enriched themselves by imposing heavy taxes on people. In this way, without any doubt, their lives were considered to be sinful and against God’s teachings. So, the people of Israel hated them. Any godly men would not associate with such people as tax collectors, who were even labeled as traitors to their people and their country.

Who were the sinners that gathered around Jesus? In principle, sinners were those whose lifestyles were not in line with God’s law. It is possible that sinners were the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame that Jesus mentioned in Luke 14:21. Outwardly, their lives or lifestyles were in violation of God’s law and they often did not participate in any of the cleansing or purification processes in the temple. In other words, tax collectors and these sinners mostly lived separately, without participating in the three annual festivals in Jerusalem or offering any sacrificial offerings. Simply, they were outcasts from the law-abiding society. Their lifestyle overtly demonstrated that they were living in ungodliness.

We do not know how many tax collectors there were in that region, but it seems like there were many who  formed a large part of Jesus’ crowd. It is not too farfetched to imagine that the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were shocked to see that Jesus was surrounded by such a large number of sinners.

In today’s terms, these include homosexuals, drug addicts, drunkards, prostitutes, slave drivers, human traffickers, and beggars in the streets.  If I were to sit with these people, to chat and have dinner with them, it would be very strange to many people. I myself would feel very uneasy, and have difficulty  tolerating their smells, attitudes, gestures, and the kind of language they might use. The Pharisees and teachers of the law expressed a similar uneasiness:

“But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:2).

Why were they drawn to Jesus? What attracted them so much that so many of them came to him? Why did they come to listen to him?

As we know, the main subject of Jesus’ teaching was the kingdom of God. These sinners knew that what they were doing was wrong, according to the Law, but in their minds, there was no other means to live or any way to live a better life. However, when they saw that Levi was well accepted by Jesus, they saw a glimpse of hope for themselves as well. This hope was not for living in the kingdom they were currently in, but for a new kingdom that Jesus was offering, the kingdom of God. They all knew that the kingdom they were living in could not be changed or provide any meaningful solution for their lives; only in this new kingdom and under this new king, would there be a new hope. So hope dawned in these sinners’ hearts for the first time, allowing them to escape the dark shadows of sin and death and strengthening their feeble knees. They got up and gathered around Jesus, wanting to see more and desiring to be convinced of this new hope. They themselves wanted to know and hear, in order to convince their own hearts of its truth. Jesus’ teaching, love, and miracles were all pointing to the hope of that kingdom, which they had never dreamed of or ever thought of. This was a new interest in the kingdom of God, a great turning point in their lives. Did the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law have any concern for why these people gathered around Jesus? To them, it was strange that Jesus, a very righteous and holy man, would associate with these sinful men and women. Through this periscopic view, they saw and understood the tax collectors and sinners. It is heartbreaking to think that the leaders of the nation did not understand the changes occurring in the lives of these sinners at all.

To answer the complaints of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law and defend these sinners, Jesus gave them three parables, through which he helped them see the situation from God’s perspective. We will discuss two of these parables today:

A.     The shepherd risked everything to search for his sheep.

In this parable, Jesus began with a question:

“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?” (Luke 15:4).

Shepherding was the main occupation for many in those times, but shepherds were very low in the social ranks, far below the Pharisees or teachers of the Law. These religious leaders knew and engaged with many shepherds, so it was not hard for them to put themselves in the shepherds’ shoes.

A man had 100 sheep that he took out every day so that they might find good pastures. At the end of the day, he brought them all into the sheep pen. When one of his sheep got caught in a trap, he took it out. When one of them got injured, he bandaged their wounds, let the sheep rest, and prepared food for it. The shepherd knew each of them; from birth to death, he took care of them all. Simply, it was unthinkable for any of his sheep to live without his care. They all knew his voice and he knew each of them. But one day, one of his sheep suddenly disappeared. It was lost. The shepherd looked around and did not find it; he waited and waited, but the sheep did not come back. So he took drastic measures to find it. He left his other ninety-nine sheep in the field while another shepherd was keeping an eye on them, and went about many places to look for the lost sheep. He went up hills, down cliffs, and went into the wildernesses, yet he could not find the sheep. What could he do? Give it up or keep searching…

Here it says that ‘until he finds’, he went about every place. In his mind, he had to find that sheep. Why? He risked the other ninety-nine as well as himself, going up and down hills and cliffs and into the wilderness and woods. Simply, he felt that he had to find the sheep. Why was he willing to risk so much?

Here, the word, ‘lost’, is translated many times as ‘destroyed’ or ‘perished’. In other words, when it says that the sheep was ‘lost’, it was as good as dead. The shepherd’s mind was overwhelmed by one compelling thought: “If I do not find it, it will die! I cannot let it die either by starvation, a fall, or by ferocious animals!” How could he let his sheep die? So he searched arduously. Practically speaking, when the ninety-nine sheep were left in the field, this shepherd pretty much risked all that he had, all for the sake of one sheep. In addition to risking his possessions, he also risked his life by searching through many difficult terrains. It was only because he had to find that lost sheep. It was out of the depth of his love and care for the lost sheep. Could he find that sheep without taking any risk?

Have you taken any risk to find someone who was lost? Are we willing to take risks at all? In my heart, I do not want to risk anything; as long as I can keep what I have, my comfort, my possession, my honor, and my pride, I am willing to search for the lost, but when I do not take any risks, my efforts can only go so far. Before I find the lost one, I will quit. But this is not the heart of this shepherd; moreover, this is not the heart of God. This shepherd searched for the sheep until he found it, whatever it took to find it.

When he finally found that sheep, what did he do?

“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.’” (Luke 15:5-6).

He was filled with joy. So he put the sheep on his shoulder and came home; His long and hard search was not in vain. He found his sheep; it was as good as dead if he did not find it. so that sheep was as precious as if it had just been born. It was like having a new life! The shepherd was so filled with joy that he could not keep his joy to himself. He called his friends and neighbors and told them that he had found the lost sheep. Have you had a joy that was so great that you could not hold it to yourself? This man had that kind of joy! Jesus wanted the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law to taste that joy and happiness! If they would do so, than their faces would be filled with big smiles. But the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were grumpy, seeing only ‘these sinners’. What’s the true significance of this?

““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 15:7).

“In the same way” means in the way that the shepherd was filled with joy. He had lost a sheep and found it again. Likewise, when a sinner is found again by God, there is more joy in heaven than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Jesus was saying this: “Even now, God is much happier with these sinners than with you Pharisees and teachers of the Law!”

Such an idea had never come across their minds! They asked themselves: “How could God be happier with these sinners than with us, who have diligently kept the Law of Moses and offered sacrifices in every season!”

While such questions lingered in their minds, Jesus told a second parable.

B.     The woman lit a lamp, swept the house, and searched carefully for her lost coin.

“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?” (Luke 15:8).

In the second parable, the main character is not a man, but a woman. Most likely, there were many women in the crowds as well, particularly among the sinners! We know another story about a sinful woman and Jesus (Luke 7:39). There were many helpless women who had fallen into a sinful lifestyle. They were more vulnerable to the many traps of sin because they did not have much leverage in their lives. The Samaritan woman is one example and the one that came to Jesus and poured a jar of perfume on his feet is another. Most likely, Jesus was appealing to his many women listeners, so that they might have the same compassion and love for many other women sinners.

Women usually love precious jewels such as pearls, diamonds, gold, and silver. This woman was poor and did not have expensive jewels, only ten silver coins. She treasured them because these were her only jewels; each coin may have been worth about $100-$200 in American money. That was quite a sum of money for a not-well-to-do woman. While enjoying them, one of the ten fell out of her hand and into the dark corner of the room. So what did she do? It is interesting that Jesus was directing this question to these Pharisees and teachers of the Law and, in doing so, forced them  to put themselves in the position of this woman.

The room was dark and cluttered with many household items, so she lit a lamp and swept the floor carefully because she had to find that coin. In a dark room, we cannot find anything, so it must be lit up before we can see the coin. This is the exact context of  lost souls, for the world of the lost is invariably dark. It is so dark that we cannot discern anything. Jesus told his disciples that “you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14a), but the world is filled with darkness; in the darkness, no one can discern what is good or bad. Everything looks same. While the woman tried to look for her coin in the darkness, she could have picked up a sharp object and cut her fingers, since she could not see at all. Likewise, we need a light in order to see well and to find lost souls! Without light, we will be swallowed by the darkness. Jesus is the light and we have to have the light with us. The light is Jesus’ love, truth, and kingdom; it is the ability to discern the truth and to see the hope in Jesus’ kingship.

She swept the floor of the entire room carefully. The sweeping action was not just focusing only on a particular object. By using a broom, she was collecting everything that was in that room. After that, she carefully searched, because not all of the items she had collected were the coin that she was looking for. This was not a cursory or hasty job at all; tt was a thorough search, because she had to find that silver coin! It was a thorough search of a certain area.  She was looking for one thing, the silver coin.  

It is interesting that Jesus told this parable, even though these two were very similar. In searching for what was lost, these actions were necessary: light a lamp, sweep the floor, and carefully search!  The shepherd’s labor was pictured as a work requiring risk and hard work, but, in the second parable, Jesus gives us an insight into how to conduct that search. In searching for the lost sheep, we also need to light a lamp, sweep the entire area, and carefully search, because we are not looking for just any object or person, but one sheep, the one who is lost.

I often become impatient and hurried in searching for something I’ve lost. As these parables show, finding the lost thing in itself needs ample time, efforts, and patience, as well as commitment and risk. When we keep this as our norm when we search for something lost, we will be more patient and filled with joy.

When she found the coin, what did she do?

“And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’” (Luke 15:9).

She was so happy that she called many of her friends and neighbors and told them her story. The reason for such joy was in the fact that “I lost the coin but I found it!”

Jesus made this conclusion:

““In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”” (Luke 15:10).

The moment when a sinner repents and comes to God, there are great sounds of joyful music and singing in heaven among the hosts of God’s angels. When one sinner repents, it is not just a personal story hidden within one’s private corner; it is known in heaven. Heaven is filled with great joy with music, singing, and dancing, because God and His heavenly hosts have been waiting for this sinner’s coming for a long time.

What does this tell us?

It all speaks of God’s compassion and love for sinners. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for their hypocrisy and delivered woes against them. They were sinners. The tax collectors and other sinners were also sinners in the eyes of God. To Him, they were all “the lost”. How far had they gone away from God? Mankind’s sins have often been thought to have reached its peak, but people invent ways to go against God that are beyond our imagination and they are still getting worse and worse. Yet God has not given up His ownership for these sinners. He created everything and these sinners are still His. He has not forgotten or given up on us; He is still intensely searching for sinners. To do so, He has done many things. The best of His efforts was sending Jesus, His Son. Since he came, he gave his all by loving sinners unconditionally. Through his love, we have been saved. Love is deeply rooted in Christ’s ownership of all of creation. He cares for and loves man because they are his.

Jesus wanted his listeners to share in God’s compassion for sinners. In this way, he was calling for a great shift in their thinking; we must change our attitude toward sinners and give up our old view of sinners. The Pharisees and teachers of the Law shared this old view, saying: “they are so sinful and ugly that I cannot tolerate or endure these people”; this must be changed to “God has love and hope for them because they are His and He is looking out for them.  

We must change our outlook towards the sinners, because they will be a great source of joy for us and the heavenly hosts. When we look for great joy, we can endure hardships and joyfully pour out our efforts.

In these ways, Jesus was asking his listeners to show  the same compassion for sinners that is rooted in their true ownership by God. God’s ownership is illuminated to us as he claims us as His children, even while we were lost in the darkness of sin.

It begins with the search for one sheep or one coin, as with the shepherd and the woman. Searching for one thing is so important; we are to look for the lost ones, one at a time. To find the one who is lost, we should be willing to make every effort. It may take some risk and requires a lot of effort. We need to light a lamp, sweep the floor, and search carefully.

If we distance ourselves from sinners out of a sense of judgment, then we are not far from the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. If we do not share in God’s ownership of the lost, we will remain like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. If we are not willing to risk anything that we have, we continue to live like the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. But when we dare to risk everything in search for just one lost sheep, we will surely find it and be filled with same joy that fills the heavens. If not, we will remain grumpy and our lives will be devoid of such great joy.

So dare to risk what you have; if you need go up into the hills, go! If you must go down cliffs, go down. We must also light up the world with the light of Jesus so that we may see well. In addition, we are to sweep the entire room and search carefully! Let’s do this with a clear sense of God’s ownership of all sinners!