Parables of Lost Things
This chapter covers the parable of the "lost sheep", the "lost coin" and the
"prodigal son". These parables were spoken because of remarks that Scribes
and Pharisees were making concerning Jesus associating with sinners.
Truly great multitudes of people, including publicans and sinners. drew near
to Him. The publicans, who collected the tribute from the people that was
paid to the Romans, were despised by the Jews. They were ranked with the
harlots. Others were probably heathen, sense Jesus was by now, east of the
Jordan, who came not so much for cures but to hear His teachings. They
drew near to Him when the Jews rejected Him.
Verses 1 thru 10 record the parable of the "lost sheep". Something similar to this
is found in Matthew the 18th. chapter. In Matthew it was designed to show God's
care of the Saints as a reason why we should not offend them. Here, it is designed
to show the pleasure God takes in the conversion of sinners as a reason why we
should rejoice in it. Notice:
- The sinner that continues in his sinful ways is like a lost sheep.
Both are out of communion with the shepherd. Both are out of the
protection of the shepherd. Both wander aimlessly, exposed to
to the dangers of this world, usually wanting for green pastures.
- Note the care that is taken to recover this lost individual.
Though he has ninety nine other sheep, he goes after the one that
is lost. When he finds it, worn from it's wanderings, he does
not leave it to parish, but puts it on his shoulders and carries
it back home. Every person had gone astray. What would it matter
to God if they all should perish? There is a world of Holy Angels
that are as the 99 sheep, yet God sent His Son to seek and save
that which was lost. Christ is said to gather us into His arms
and carry us in His bosom denoting His pity and tenderness toward
sinners. Those whom He carries can never perish.
- Notice the pleasure the Lord gets when sinners repent. He even
calls in His friends and neighbors and asks them to rejoice
with Him. Notice He, Himself, reclaims that which is rightfully
His. "I have found it." He didn't send a servant, He sent His
own Son.
The next parable is the parable of the lost coin.
- Notice it was a woman who lost the coin. Jesus supposedly
chose a woman for the parable because a woman would react
more passionately to the lost as well as to the finding
of the coin. She had 10 pieces of silver and she looses
one. This coin was comparatively of small value. Therefore
it was of no great loss to the woman. If a sinful man was
lost, comparatively speaking, it would be of no great loss
to God. The coin was last in the dirt. A soul lost in the
dirt of a sinful world might be written off like a small
coin, not worth bending over to pick up.
- But no, contrary to our expectations, the woman takes great pains
to locate the coin. She lights a candle. She looks behind the
door, under the table, and in every corner of the house. She
even sweeps the floor. She looks diligently until she finds it.
This is a parallel to God seeking the lost. He lights the candle
of understanding, He sweeps our "house" by the convictions of the
Word. He seeks diligently for those that are lost.
- After finding the coin, the woman invites her neighbors to rejoice
with her. She rejoiced in the finding of a small coin and
undoubtedly, spent more in the celebration than the coin was
worth. Certainly it cost God more to save us than we were worth.
Notice the purpose of the telling of these two parables was the same. There is
great joy in Heaven over one sinner that repents. Jesus considered it more worth
His while when one sinner repents than over a great number of just persons that
need no repentance. Christians sometimes find themselves in the place of the
Pharisees who were strangers to this heavenly joy, who grieved because of it and
were angry with Jesus for doing that which caused great joy in Heaven.
Verses 11 thru 32 deal with the parable of the prodigal son. The lesson and
purpose is the same as the previous two. They show how pleasing it is to God over
the conversion of one sinner and what effort He puts forth to save them.
The parable seems to represent God as a "Common Father", a Father that is common
to all mankind. We are all His offspring, for God created us all. As Father, He
has the job of educating and portioning to us His grace and will include us in His
inheritance or leave us out according to our response to His call.
Mankind is represented in this parable as belonging to one of two groups. These
two groups are represented by the two sons. The one, the oldest son, is solemn,
dependable, strict to adhere to his education and not easily swayed from his
established way of life. This son represents the likes of the Scribes and the
Pharisees and to most of the Jews in general. The other son, the youngest, was
untamed, unreliable, impatient, prone to wander and willing, yes even eager to try
himself and make his own fortune. This son represents the publicans and sinners
who Christ is trying to bring to repentance, and the Gentiles, whom the Disciples
would endeavor to bring to repentance.
Notice this about the prodigal son:
- His request. "Give me the portion of your goods that belongs
to me." He did not say, "would you please". He did not say,
"Please give me whatever you believe I should have." He did
not suggest that the father give him a little of his inheritance
to see if he could manage it. Why did he do this? Two reasons
are suggested. One, he was tired of his father's management.
Good order and discipline restrict a young man's liberty.
His fathers careful management of money did not allow for
this boy's idea of the "good life". Secondly, he wanted to
get away from his father's eye. There was some things that he
wanted to try in this world and he knew that his father would
disapprove.
Notice what kind of father this man was:
- He calculated what he had in this world and gave to this boy half
of it. Thus he saw his father's trust and faith in him to
manage and live as he had been taught.
Notice what kind of a manager the boy was:
- He set about to spend all that he had as fast as he could and as
Prodigals generally do, he made a pauper of himself.
Now the condition of this boy represents the miserable, sinful state of the
unrepentant sinner. Notice:
- A "sinful state" is a state of departure and separation from God.
As the son left the father so the sinner has departed from God.
Notice the boy went as far away as he could. Sinners seek to
get as far away from God as they can, not wanting the pangs of
conscience that His presence brings.
- He soon spent all that he had on harlots and riotous living. He
was broke and on top of that, there was a mighty famine in the
land.
- His newfound friends deserted him when he ran out of money and he
was forced to become a bondservant to a citizen of that country.
His sinful living forced him to make an alliance with the Devil.
He was forced to feed swine, a great disgrace to a "son of Jacob".
- He now found himself in a state of separation, a state of perpetual
dissatisfaction, so hungry that he ate the food that he fed the
swine. For all practical purposes, he was dead. He had lost all
virtue and honor. He became as a mad man.
But fortunately, "He came to himself." Why? Affliction, when it is sanctified by
Divine Grace, will show the sinner the error of their wicked ways. By them the
ear is opened to discipline and the heart made ready to receive instruction. Thus
he was able to "reason with himself". Notice what he reasoned:
- His father's servants have more than enough to eat while he
died of hunger. He had come totally to the end of his rope.
He had exhausted all means that was at his disposal and now
he realized he was lost. Sinners will not come to Christ until
they have reached this understanding of their totally lost
condition.
- He would be better off if he went home and became one of his
father's servants. "I will arise and go to my father." It
was a long and hard journey home. Every backslidden step from
God is a long and hard step back. Though he had bonded himself
to Satan, he was not obligated to keep the agreement. We are
not debtors to the flesh. Whatever price he would have to pay,
whatever position he would have to accept, he would arise and
go to his father, rather than stay there and die in sin.
- Notice he determined in his heart what he would say to his father.
We have that liberty when we come before the Father in repentance,
to speak boldly, yet not to abuse it. Note what he decided to say:
- He would confess his sin. Confession of sin is required
as a necessary condition to peace and pardon.
- He would confess that he had sinned against Heaven in
the sight of his father. Sins against our parents,
are sins against God. Sin or any form of disobedience
is a sin against authority.
- He would judge and condemn himself and forfeit all the
privileges of the family. "I am no longer worthy
to be called your son." He does not deny his son ship,
but admits that the father might justly deny any rights
that he might have to it.
- He would never the less; ask for the least of all posts,
a job as a servant in his father's house. That would be
good enough, perhaps to good for him. But as a servant,
he could honor his father's house and in time, show that
his love was as great as his dishonor had been.
- In all of this, he would acknowledge his father as his
father, perhaps something he had not done before.
Acknowledging God as our Father will be of great use
when we return in repentance to Him.
Notice he did not tarry, he did not procrastinate. He arose immediately and went
to his father. It was a long and hard journey back but he did not deviate from his
mission. Notice the reception he got from his father:
- He was received with great love and affection. "When he was yet
a great distance away, his father saw him and ran to him."
The father expressed his welcome before the son could express
his repentance. He had been obviously watching for his son's
return. Before anyone else saw him coming, the father saw him
and ran to him. He was filled with compassion and forgiveness.
Like God, who grieved for the absence of Israel, he grieved
for the absence of his son.
- The father stretched out the arms of mercy and embraced his son.
Then he kissed him. The kiss not only assured the boy of his
welcome but it also sealed his pardon. His former sins were
all forgiven and would be mentioned no more. This parallels the
mercy and forgiving Grace of Christ toward repentant sinners.
- Then the son said, "Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in
your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son." But
notice before he could say, "Make me as one of your hired
servants", which surly he had not forgotten and was his intent
when he left the muck and mire of sin, the father gave instructions
to the servants to take care of the boy.
The prodigal had come home, caught between hope and fear, fear
of being rejected and hope of being received, but the father
received him far better than he had hoped for. He received
him back into his graces as a son and forgave him, not asking
where he had been, or what he had been doing. God forgives
the sins of the true penitents, He forgives and remembers them
no more.
- Notice the instructions that the father gave to the servants
concerning what he wanted them to do for the boy. The prodigal
came home in his dirty rags and the father not only clothed him
but he adorned him. "Bring out the best robe and put it on him."
The Greek suggests that this was more than just a robe, it was
the best robe, the robe he wore before he left. When backsliders
repent, they will be welcomed back and dressed in their "first
robes". Secondly, they were to put a ring upon his hand. This
was a signet ring with the arms of the family inscribed upon it.
This signified place in the family, though he had spent his share
of the families wealth, he was now eligible for an additional
share. Thirdly, put shoes on his feet. It had probably been
a long time sense this boy had shoes on his feet. They were
surly rough and perhaps bleeding from the long trip home. But
now he was in the care of his father.
- Notice the parallel. When we repent and accept Christ, we to are
treaded by the Father as a "prodigal son". He puts on us the
"robe of righteousness", the garment of salvation, secondly,
we are "sealed by the Spirit", until the day of our redemption
signified by the ring on the hand, thirdly, the presentation
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our witness of it is shoes
for our feet.
- He came home hungry and the father not only fed him, but he had
a feast prepared for him. Bring the "fatted calf", the best
of the herd, believed to have been "stall fed", and saved for
a very special occasion. It was only a short time before when
this boy ate what was fed to the swine.
- "Let us all eat and be merry, for this my son was dead but now
he is alive." The father had heard nothing from the boy for
a long time. He had presumed him dead. But now he was alive.
The conversion of a soul is the raising of that soul from death
to life. What was dead, was made alive. What was lost, is
found. The conversion of a sinner causes great celebration
in Heaven.
- All of the preceding related to the joy of the conversion of
publicans and sinners, symbolized by the return home of the
prodigal son. The following is a parallel to the discontent
of the Scribes and Pharisees over the conversion of the
publicans and sinners and symbolized by the elder brother
that had stayed home.
- It seems that the elder brother was out in the fields working
when the prodigal son returned. By the time he came in from
work the festivities had already begun. As he approached the
house, he heard music and dancing. He inquired as to what the
celebration was all about. He was informed that his brother had
come home and was safe and sound and that his father had ordered
a feast in celebration.
- Notice how this information offended the older son. He became
angry and would not go in and join the festivities. He did
this to show his father that he was displeased with him for
not only taking the prodigal back but in making such a big
to do about it. Here Jesus was pointing out a common fault.
First, in our earthly families, those who have always been a
comfort to their parents think that they should have a monopoly
of their parent's favors and are often un-forgiving with those
who have transgressed and grudge their parents kindness towards
them. Secondly, in our heavenly families, those who are faithful
seldom know how to be compassionate toward repented sinners.
- Notice the older brothers opinion of himself. First he boasted
of his own virtue and obedience to his father. He not only
had not run away but had stayed home and worked much like a
servant. He had not asked for his inheritance nor had he
spent any money unwisely. Those whom God has granted grace
and strength to serve long and wisely and have been kept from
gross sins, have a great deal to be thankful for and nothing
to boast about.
- Notice the older brothers jealousy. He complained to his father
that he had never made for him a great feast where-by he could
entertain his friends. This was true, but it was also true that
he had never asked, nor in all probability, even wanted such a
feast. Surly had he given any indication that he wanted this,
the father would have gladly obliged. His jealousy had caused him
to be bitter toward his younger brother. His fathers house was
no longer big enough for both of them. He would not go in unless
the younger son left. His attitude was that of the Pharisee
in Isa. 65:5, "Stand by yourself, do not come near me, for I am
holier than you are."
- Notice the fathers effort to appease the older son. When the boy
would not come in and joint in the festivities, the father went out
and spoke to him, accosting him mildly, and inviting him to come in.
He could have laid down the law to his older son, but he didn't,
he treated him as he had his younger son, understanding his problem
and attempting to resolve it in love. "Let not fathers provoke
their children to more wrath." He assured his older son that the
feast that he had prepared for his brother did not in any way
reflect upon his feelings toward him. We should never be envious
of God's grace to other people. The father explains why he ordered
the feast. "This, your brother, was dead and now he is alive, he
was lost, and now he is found." Any family would be more joyous
over a son brought back from death than one cured of an illness.
Thus we end a chapter filled with parables of lost things designed by Jesus to get
these Scribes and Pharisees to see the need to save the lost no matter how unworthy
they might think they were. All are worthy in the sight of God, all are in need of
His saving Grace, including the Scribes and Pharisees.
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