The Way - Day 015 (Luke 15)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
Luke 15:1-32
 A group of tax collectors and sinners came to listen to Jesus speak (15:1), but the scribes and Pharisees were nearby saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them" (15:2). These so-called religious leaders were constantly following Jesus and demonstrating their dissatisfaction with His associations; in fact, they viewed tax collectors and sinners as outcasts and rendered them hopeless before God. Jesus knew that those who had been labeled as the outcasts in society were worthy of His time and that they could be forgiven if they would simply repent and trust in Him as Savior. No individual is beyond forgiveness. In order to demonstrate God's love for the sinner and His willingness to forgive, Jesus told three stories: the parable of the lost sheep (15:3-7), the parable of the lost coin (15:8-10), and the parable of the lost son (15:11-32). The first two stories are similar in meaning and teach that God is always seeking out those who are willing to repent and believe, no matter who they are. In the story of the lost sheep, a shepherd who has 100 sheep loses one so he leaves "...the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go[es] after the one which is lost until he finds it...and when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing" (15:4-5). Jesus provides the meaning of this teaching saying, "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance" (15:7). Within His teaching, Jesus reveals that there is more rejoicing in heaven over the lost being found than over the "ninety-nine" who think that they are righteous. The scribes and Pharisees thought that they were righteous before God, but in reality they were not.
 
In the story of the lost coin, a woman has 10 silver coins, but loses one so she searches her entire house until she finds it (15:8). Jesus, again, provides the meaning of this teaching saying, "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (15:10). In essence, Jesus was teaching that those who were labeled as outcasts were valuable enough for God to come and search for them until they had been found and when they had been found, there was rejoicing in heaven.

The third story Jesus told was about a father who had two sons (15:11), but the younger son wanted his inheritance early so the father gave it to him and he went off and "...wasted his possessions with prodigal living" (15:12-13). After spending everything that the father had given him, he found himself alone and without the basic necessities of life (15:14-16). When the younger son finally came to his senses, he returned home determined to admit his wrongdoing (15:17-19). But as the younger son made his way home, "...his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him" (15:20). The son said to his father, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son" (15:21). Instead of condemning his son for wasting time and money, the father called for an immediate celebration (15:22-23) saying, "...for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" (15:24). This story symbolizes the sinners and outcasts (the younger son) humbly coming before God in order to receive forgiveness of sin. Unfortunately, the story does not end with the celebration of the younger son returning home, but the older son (representing the scribes and Pharisees) becoming angry because the father had freely forgiven the younger son (15:25-28). The older son said to his father, "...these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him" (15:29-30). Rather than rejoicing that his younger brother had returned home, the older brother was angry because he did not think his younger brother was worthy of forgiveness. The father responded to his oldest son's anger saying, "'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found" (15:31-32). Much like the oldest son, the scribes and Pharisees did not believe that the tax collectors and sinners were worthy of God's forgiveness, so they became angry that Jesus was offering forgiveness to those whom they considered unworthy. God has offered hope and salvation to all those who will repent of their sin and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. Those who have received God's mercy should the first to rejoice in the spiritually dead being brought to life.

Dear God, thank You for offering hope and salvation to all people and may I rejoice when a person who was lost is found.