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. And all men began to eat [And all began for to eat gladly]. That is not good economics. A materialist would easily identify with the mental torment of losing even one out of 100 sheep or one out of 10 coins. Heb. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. Should one abandon the 99 sheep, leaving them vulnerable to getting lost or to attack by wild animals? As I sit at the dining room table surrounded by books, I feel the loving and tender presence of my dear Shepherd. So many people think they can lose their salvation, but what does the Bible say about eternal security? (2) You have given your other son a banquet, when all he did was to sin. This young man deserted his family, permanently lost his portion of the inheritance, and left his father in a potentially precarious position (he had just lost 1/3 of his fathers resources, and had lost his ability to look after him). I have always had a special joy in finding lost things. And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. The woman who lost her coin sets aside all her other work and diligently searches until she finds it. 5:8). They never used tobacco, alcohol, or drugs. But, thank God, He has intervened! He reminded this older brother of the blessings which he had in staying home. The same lions or wolves that were stalking his sheep might stalk him as well. He had to go without sleep because the longer the sheep remained lost, the greater the risk of its being destroyed. Web2 Timothy 4:17 - Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not. Once again, the search and the rejoicing seems to be overdone, when it comes to the sheep and the silver (coin). No more groveling for this repentant son. (3) The younger lost his inheritance; the older did not. They viewed others as sinners, but not themselves. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Jesus, Peter reminds his readers, is the only shepherd that could rescue and return them from their lostness. When the coin is found, she, like the sheep rancher, would rejoice greatly at finding it. All these years Ive been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders (Luke 15:29). 630 Weakley Creek Road Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Can I plead with you today? Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, NT Gospels: John 9:25 He therefore answered I don't know if (Jhn Jo Jn). He could make the truth simple; the Pharisees made it mind-bogglingly complex. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. When a sinner turns from his sins to God, all heaven rejoices because God gets the glory. The father had to do it. We quickly grant that stealing, murder, rape, and violence are wrong, especially when they are perpetrated on us. (6) Both sons were materialists. It is hard to admit but I know deep in my heart that my personal relationship with God had been unstable. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 9. Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. A time to search and a time to give up as lost;A time to keep and a time to throw away. . John 4:23. But, if you have still not trusted in Christ, then you are still dead in your sins (Eph 2:1-5) and have no hope outside of Christ and on judgment day and have no security of salvation when you eventually face Gods judgement (Heb 9:27; Rev 20:12-15). And when the older brother refused to participate, the father sought him out and appealed to him to join in the celebration, which he saw not only as permissible, but as necessary.8 The father was as gracious to the older brother as he was to the younger. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. But he answered his father, Look! It would seem that this older brother thought that the basis for obtaining his fathers favor was his works. One line in the familiar hymn Amazing Grace says, I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. We may have sung it a thousand times without Such pagans are not to be found only in far away countries. He has filled me with His Spirit and given me eternal life in Him. For an Israelite, nothing could be lower than to be the slave of a heathen, and to have as ones job the care of swine.5 This younger son, I say, acted in a very wicked and foolish way. After this, the issue of Jesus association with sinners arose (5:27ff.). 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. The seriousness of the young brothers sins can only be understood in the light of his identity (I am assuming) as an Israelite. Jesus said were in His and the Fathers hands (John 10:28-29). Wheres the balance between bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor. Luke 15:24 NIV - For this son of mine was dead and is - Bible One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. NIV He replied, 'Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. The first family were Christians. Jesus continued: There was a man who had two sons. He knew that this would necessitate facing his father, and so he rehearsed his repentance speech, one that he was never allowed to finish. They referred to Jesus as this man. I believe this is intended to be a specific reminder to the crowds that Jesus was just a man and not God. And he was lost, but he is found! And they began to be merry. vv. Scripture is clear that if we are saved, it is because the Lord took the initiative; we did not. The Pharisees were hypocrites. If the younger sons sins were great, so was his repentance. That was my part. Luke 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. Blind, physically or mentally. I have chosen to deal with the entire 15th chapter in this lesson, rather than to break it up, as I often do. The sins of these two sons were very different in their outward manifestations, but inwardly they had the same roots. Some argue that you can have saving faith without repentance. Joy is to be one of the characteristics of the Christian. Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 1-2) and the first two parables (vv. This family avoided their lost neighbors and rejoiced when they finally moved away. Praise His Holy Name! 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. and they said to Moses, Your servants have taken a census of men of war who are in our charge, and no man of us is missing. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. But Jesus goes on to show us in the gospels that prayer, giving, preaching, or showing charity can be sinful, when the motive of the heart is wrong. (6) In both cases, it is not men who are lost, but things, and it is man (generically speaking, for there is both a man and a woman) that seeks diligently to find what is lost. After the extra point was kicked he mumbled, Divorce, huh? It was no accident that the father saw the son coming from a long way off (v. 20). For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. I cant do other things when something is lost! Wiersbe expounds: Every lost sinner is like a sheep gone astray; ignorant, lost, wandering, in danger away from the place of safety, and unable to help himself. The rules for disposing of property are given in the Mishnah (Baba Bathra 8). gain access to 50+ premium resources to enhance your study of Scripture. Read them in the archive below. That, that one there, yonder. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? You cannot have one without the other. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. So he got up and went to his father. 3-7, 8-10). Neither did the Pharisees, for their early protest to Jesus had to do with His celebrating (cf. Matthew 6:34 But He answered and said, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.. They had ears to hear what the Savior was teaching. Is it not for you and for all your fathers household?. Peter had also gained a great knowledge about sheep by the teachings. How much like the Heavenly Father he is. Parents who have or are presently struggling with wayward children will tend to identify with the father of the prodigal, and look at this text for guidance and comfort for them in the midst of their pain and adversity. We can rejoice in our own salvation, and thus we can also share in the joy of others who come to repentance as well. His self-righteousness is so strong that he resents the grace of God and refuses to rejoice in it. This is one place where the answer is clear, in my opinion. (2) In both parables, the owner takes the initiative, seeking the lost. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is now found. Related Topics: Soteriology (Salvation), Cultural Issues, Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. The older brother we know to be the one in the parable who represents the Pharisees and scribes, who grumble at Jesus reception of sinners. If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? If a man decided to make gifts, he normally gave the capital but retained the income. They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; They did not find a way to an inhabited city. Next week we will study the parable of the lost (or prodigal) son. He says that those who hold this view need to go up to heaven and set the angels straight on this matter. I can envision Jesus audience sucking in their breath in shock and horror at what this man had done. We all rejoice in finding lost things. All Rights Reserved. And would they not then let their friends know of their success and have them over to celebrate the finding of the one lost sheep? Adultery is always evil, for example. Previous post: What it Means to Become a New Creation in Christ. The younger brothers repentance was required by his sin, he very great sin, as we have just emphasized. WebVerse Concepts or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; 2 Corinthians 5:13 Verse Concepts They need to tell them not to rejoice until the sinner dies and goes to heaven, because they may be rejoicing too soon. It showed the effort and danger that the shepherd went to in order to rescue his lost sheep. Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. Mark 8:22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. Thus Jesus was using irony to show them their self-righteous pride, especially in the case of the older brother who could not bring himself to rejoice at his brothers repentance. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. Unless they repent of that, there is only a fearful expectation of fiery judgment. I believe that the fullest explanation of this is to be found in Matthews gospel, in the 23rd chapter. From apo and the base of olethros; to destroy fully, literally or figuratively. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. But in the case of our salvation, the cost was much greater: God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all (Rom. One thing I do know. Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. And who is adequate for these things? This is why I plead with you today to repent and put your trust in Christ. WebLuke 15:1-32 ESV / 15 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. The heart of that father never forgot the wayward son. The biblical description of those who do not know Jesus Christ is not unsaved, but lost. The late Bible teacher, Harry Ironside, told of a new convert who gave his testimony at a church service. I am no longer empty and lifeless. But this final parable proves this assumption to be entirely false. WebThe Lost Is Found Three parables about salvation The parables of The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son portray God as concerned about the lost, and willing and They are not in the fold or household of faith, but in the household of Israel, made up both of those who are saved and those who are not. Both sons loved money; they only differed in what they wanted to do with it, and when. In their case, or in the churchs case, the author was saying we are not like those who might profess faith but then just keep on sinning. (5) In both cases, the rejoicing of the one who has found the lost item is likened to the rejoicing of heaven to the salvation of one sinner. (1) In both parables, sinfulness is not stressed (in going astray, getting lost), but lostness. As I sit at the dining room table surrounded by books, I feel the loving and tender presence of my dear Shepherd. He has filled me with His Spirit and given me eternal life in Him. The younger brother partied in a foreign land, with the wrong kinds of friends. Their kids told some of my friends at school that their dad and mom are going to get a divorce., All right! Dad shouted excitedly, as his favorite team on the game he was watching threw a touchdown pass. Note two things: There are different views on what Jesus means in verse 7, but two are most likely. When they were filled, He *said to His disciples, Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.. Middle voice of archo; to commence. Rather than avoiding sinners, we should be pursuing them, not to run with them in their sins, but to rescue them from this evil world. Bright, shining as the sun. Pigs were more valuable than he. Ibid. John says that they went out from us because they werent really of us in the first place (1 John 2:19). What a way to live. Sin, from a biblical point of view, is often characterized more in terms of attitudes. Second, the over-zealous attitude of the Pharisees toward finding that which was lost or the extreme joy at finding it is explained. I can identify with this woman. Peter tells us that the angels long to look into the matters of our salvation (1 Pet. Jesus maintained His holiness and yet sinners seemed comfortable in His presence. He is a mirror of the Pharisees! 7 The father, to the best of my knowledge, did not restore to the son what he had lost, but he did restore him to the full benefits of being a member of the familyin other words, the inheritance, which he squandered was not replenished, but he was given a coat, a ring, and sandals. I drew away from Him little by little. I believe that some ancient copiest had just written down the sons words, which he had rehearsed to himself in verse 18 and felt that if this is what the son intended to say, it must also be what he did say. The older brother refused to celebrate with his father (and younger brother), but he indicated a strong desire to have been allowed to have a banquet WITH HIS FRIENDS. He chose you as His own before time began. The apostle Paul was motivated by joy, even in the midst of great suffering, danger, and tribulation (cf. Jim Peterson, in his excellent book, Evangelism as a Lifestyle, indicts the church for its failure to reach pagan unbelievers, those who have little or no contact with or knowledge of Christianity. Verse 6 says, All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Before we continue with todays lesson, it would be wise to read again 1 Peter 2:21-24. The family rejoices more over the recovery of that one child than over the health of the other six. Some manuscripts do not allow the father to interrupt his son, and to cut his confession short. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Used by permission. Let us seek to have the mind of Christ in warmly receiving sinners, like us. They took good care of their house and lawn. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.. Explain what it means to be lost without Jesus. Literally, what ultimately happens to a lost sheep? 4:4). Jesus did not attempt to minimize this younger sons sin. He was lost and has been found. So they had this huge party. Should she be so happy at finding this coin? We have already come. Luke 15:24. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, This man1 welcomes sinners and eats with them.. For related ideas, search our website for "Parables of Jesus." for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! And they began to celebrate. The three parables which He spoke in response, were directed toward the Pharisees and scribes (cf. Its not like the old hymn with a new twist where it says, I was once lost, but now am foundbut then I Then Old Testament had very specific legislating to assure that the inheritance of each family was kept within the family, and that the children cared for their parents. (3) In both cases, the owner seeks diligently and persistently. There are many lessons here for Christians (saved sinners), as well as those who are, as yet, unrepentant sinners. She, too, would call her friends and neighbors, so that they could rejoice with her. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). 46-47.). He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. If you believe you have eternal life but then can lose it, then it was not eternal life that you received! I am, exist. A Biblical Analysis, What it Means to Become a New Creation in Christ, 25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength, Words of Encouragement: 30 Uplifting Quotes. Should all Christians be seeking to spend time with the lost, or just those with the gift of evangelism? As we (true believers) remember that we were once lost (in sin), how can we now as followers of Jesus Christ help those who are still lost? Neither son (the younger son changed, happily) was able to enjoy their father for who he was. 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. (5) The younger realized his sins; the felt righteous. He hopes only for mercy. All these years Ive been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? He sent His Son to secure your redemption by His blood. But he lived in a country where sheep were raised and valued. It is unqualified. The woman did not give up until she found that missing coin. Wednesday He sent the Holy Spirit to pursue you with the good news that Christ died for your sins.

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