Download Lk 15.1-10 msg Jan 2015

Rejoice With Me! I Have Found My Lost Sheep!
Luke 15:1-10
Key Verse: 7
“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.”
Jesus had been teaching the beautiful yet tough truths of the heavenly kingdom. He
taught people that the kingdom of heaven was a like a big wedding banquet to which
the Father invites everyone to celebrate his love for his Son. Jesus challenged all
kinds of people to be his disciples and to seek the heavenly kingdom with all their
hearts rather than just fastidious rule keepers. He comforted the afflicted, offering them
the heavenly kingdom by faith and he afflicted the comfortable, such as the selfrighteous and complacent teachers of the law. In the parable of the lost sheep and
lost coin, Jesus explains the love the Father has for lost sinners and the joy it gives
them to draw them near him. Jesus invites us to share in his joy of helping others know
his love.
I. They “all gathered around to hear him” (1-2).
How did people respond to Jesus’ new, powerful, bright, and hopeful teaching of the
heavenly kingdom? Look at verse 1, “Now the tax collectors and the public “sinners”
were all gathering around to hear him.” Tax collectors such as Levi and Zacchaeus
publically gave up their faith to squeeze tax dollars out of the Jewish people for Rome
and their own selfish benefit. The other “sinners” were those guilty of adultery or
prostitution. Women such as Mary Magdalene. They lived on the margins of society.
So-called decent people regarded them as cursed by God. But they flocked to Jesus
like Black Friday shoppers to Wal-Mart! They wanted to be around Jesus! They
wanted to hear him! They found Jesus engaging. They gave up their time, braving
the disdain of the public, to hear Jesus, whose words enraptured them and kindled a
small yet comforting flame of hope in their weary hearts!
Why did such people, so despised and condemned by the rest of society, gather
around Jesus? First, it was because Jesus welcomed them. Jesus saw their need,
their emptiness and sadness, their thirstiness for the love of God. Jesus welcomed
them instead of pushing them away. Jesus did not give them an uncomfortable glaring
look or scowl at them but instead beamed a smile at them and his eyes twinkled at
them. Jesus did not engage in a pitched cultural battle with them but accepted them
as they were. Jesus ate with them dipping his bread in the same bowl, discussing
politics, weather, taxes, families, history, and eventually all their brokenness, failure,
hurts, disappointments, as well as all their deepest fears and longings of their past
lives. Jesus connected with them by just spending time with them, listening to them
without condemning or trying to fix them. By welcoming them, Jesus laid the
foundation for a non-threatening relationship upon which deeper and greater spiritual
truths and values could be built, so that tax-collectors such Levi could become Apostle
“Matthew” writer of a beautiful Gospel, or Mary Magdalene and other public sinners
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who became great lovers of God and enormously spiritually influential people to this
day.
Second, “Sinners” and tax collectors gathered around Jesus because he gave them
God’s word. The teachers of the law taught about rules and regulations. They offered
ritual, ceremony, and legalism. They taught how bad Romans, tax collectors and other
sinners were. They taught God was mad because people did not feel bad enough
about their sins, so when they worked hard to make themselves feel bad then
everyone, including God would be happy. Their teaching drained life from people and
made them feel guiltier, burdened, and hopeless. But Jesus’ teaching gave people life
because he gave them the Word of God. Jesus said things like, “Come to me, all you
who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11;18-30). Matthew 7:28, 29
say Jesus’ teaching amazed people because “he taught as one who had authority, and
not as their teachers of the law.” Jesus had simply taught God’s word, God’s love,
God’s values and about life by faith in the heavenly kingdom. Jesus taught about their
Father’s love and that they were each other’s’ brothers and sisters and precious
children of God who can love one another. Jesus taught the hope of eternal life in the
kingdom of God through faith in the Son, whom the father sent to die for the sins of the
world. Jesus’ teaching seemed new even though it was very old and fills the Bible. So
all kinds of people wanted to stay near him and listen to his words. Jesus’ words
refreshed and renewed them. Jesus offered hope and life. Jesus’ words were like the
warm light of spring thawing their hard hearts frozen by the hard winter of sin. Jesus
gave them God’s word full of life, love, hope, and joy. So no one wanted to leave
Jesus’ presence even though they needed to eat and use the bathroom. They wanted
to stay and continually hear about the beautiful and enchanted place Jesus was from,
his heavenly kingdom. Jesus could have offered them many things but most
importantly he offered the Word of God and they responded.
Today, people believe everything must be marketed to attract people with alluring and
exciting ads, promotions, new things, and gimmicks, including Christ. But following
Jesus’ example by holding out God’s word is the best way to attract people. People
sense hope and love so they listen to Jesus. Suddenly their sins of greed, lust, anger,
and other addictions with which they medicate themselves lose their power. Only
God’s word helps people have life, hope, and joy.
Others also gathered around Jesus. Look at verse 2, “But the Pharisees and teachers
of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!” The word for
“muttered” is diagogugzzo. It means to complain audibly together to one another as a
group or chorus. So, while Jesus and the public sinners enjoyed sweet and joyful
fellowship talking about the Father, the heavenly kingdom, and God’s word the
religious leaders hope diagogguzo fellowship.
Why did they mutter against Jesus? First of all, Jesus was different. Serious religious
people did not befriend people like that. Perhaps they muttered because they had a
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genuine fear that by eating and having close fellowship with such people that Jesus
validated their life-styles. Another possibility is that they were simply looking for a
reason to accuse Jesus and to invalidate him. But the most fundamental reason for
their muttering was their incomplete understanding of the love of God. The law
prescribed strict rules about fellowship of Jews with sinners and Gentiles, particularly
while Israel young and establishing its own values and identity as a nation. But God
did not intend the law to exclude sinners and Gentiles but to make Israel into a priestly
nation who could embrace them with his love. The religious leaders muttered against
Jesus because they themselves did not know the love of God. They could not love
and embrace others because they did not feel loved and embraced by God. They
condemned others in their hearts, including Jesus, because they condemned
themselves. They did not know the Father so they were unclear about their identity
before God. Jesus’ new way of interacting with such people confused, challenged,
and confounded them. But instead of asking questions or consulting the Bible, which
would show them that it was nothing new, the religious leaders muttered and
complained. They closed their hearts and minds instead of learning.
II. “Suppose One of You…?”
How did Jesus respond to the religious leaders’ muttering? Instead of fighting with
them, Jesus engaged them positively. Jesus understood their confusion. Jesus tried
to help them understand God’s heart of love. . Look at verses 3, and 4, “Then Jesus
told them this parable; “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of
them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the sheep
until he finds it?” Instead of telling them, Jesus asked a question. A few years ago the
phrase WWJD? was very popular. Jesus asks the same thing: WWYD? Jesus does
not want us to remain ignorant, perplexed, and confused. He always challenges us to
work through our confusion to understand him better.
Jesus says this shepherd had 99 sheep that stayed but one disappeared. Why did the
one get lost? Perhaps he was adventurous and curious about things that excited and
allured him beyond the pasture. Maybe he wanted to be more than a sheep? Such as
an eagle and soar high in the sky or leap and run like a gazelle, but when he looked
down he only saw were spindly sheep legs on a pudgy sheep body. Perhaps the
shepherd knew this sheep wanted to wander so he tried to give him extra attention by
playing sheep games and giving him extra yummy sheep food, but it did not satisfy
him. Maybe he did everything short of chaining him like a dog. The sheep was willful
and stubborn. One day he saw his chance to escape when the shepherd was
distracted. He could not resist the pull of the exciting world. Without fear he ran off
not knowing how vulnerable he was.
But his shepherd knew the danger. This troublesome sheep lay weary on his heart
like a stone so that he could not sleep. Visions of this poor helpless sheep being eaten
by a bear or lion plagued him. He envisioned him trapped in the bottom of a well,
hungry, cold, tired, and afraid, calling for his shepherd. So he set off to look for him.
What does he do when he finds him? Look at verse 5, “And when he finds it he joyfully
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puts it on his shoulders and goes home.” He was not mad but was so happy to see
him again. He holds the sheep in his arms and hugs him, gives him a bath and
removes all of the dirt and burrs. He feeds him. Then he calls his friends and neighbors
together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep!” I like to think that
whenever this sheep was tempted to run off again he remembered what happened and
was very thankful for his shepherd and green meadow and he kept a close eye on him
after that. He tried to tell the other younger sheep why it is not a good idea to run off.
Then Jesus says, “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!”
Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep is really the perfect picture of all lost people before
God, including the religious leaders. We all wander off because of our desires for
things more exciting than grazing in the meadow of God’s tender word. We wander
off from the love of the Father and those closest to us. It is fun for a while, but then we
become lonely, afraid, weary, ensnared by vices and addictions, and trapped in wells
of despair and self-condemnation. The Father is not glad at all when anyone wanders
far from him. It breaks his heart just as when our children wander off because he
knows their misery. Even believing Christians wander off in their hearts and thinking
and become sorrowful. On the other hand, Christ is so happy and rejoices greatly
when anyone comes back to him, especially believers. It really makes him so very
glad no matter what they have done. And our joy is even greater when we share it
together with those around us. This is really the heavenly kingdom Jesus speaks of.
Jesus paints a beautiful portrait of the Father’s tenderhearted love for lost sinners to
melt the religious leaders’ hard hearts. Jesus and the others choked up as he thought
of this shepherd’s love for this poor scared and lost sheep and the joy they had at their
reunion! God’s love for lost sinners deeply moved them. But when Jesus looked at the
religious leaders they looked even more cross. Their critical eyes attempted to burn
death rays into Jesus and his companions.
So, what did Jesus do? He tried again. Look at verse 8a, “Suppose a woman has ten
silver coins and loses one.” Jesus thought he might be able to get their attention with
money. Especially when they heard about a woman with ten coins and one was lost.
Suddenly they were all eyes and ears! The thought of lost money got their attention!
Today a coin is nothing special. At stores we see, “Need a penny? Take a Penny?”
People do not even bother to pick coins up when they drop them. But in Jesus’ day a
coin meant something. Money was a great innovation that allowed you to save, spend,
and buy whatever you wanted. When you had a coin you felt like somebody! So, when
you lost a coin it was a great tragedy. This woman felt a great sense of loss about her
coin. Perhaps her departed grandmother had given it to her. Perhaps she was going
to buy her husband a Hanukkah present. Maybe it was for her son’s tuition at medical
school or an offering. We do not know but the coin was important to the woman.
What did the woman do about her lost coin? Look at verse 9, “Does she not light a
lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?” She could not sleep
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because of the lost coin. So, no one else in the house could sleep either! She carefully
looked under the bed many times and in the cracks and crevices of the couch and her
husband’s pants and coat over and over again. Finally, in the corner way under a table
she sees the glimmer of her lost coin and her heart leaps with joy. “Aha! I found it!”
Her husband said, “Great honey, now let’s go to sleep!” But she did not go to sleep.
Look at verse 9, “And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together
and says, “Rejoice with me! I have found my lost coin!” The woman was joyful because
she had found her precious long lost coin. She was so joyful that she gathered all her
neighbors together and they had a late night celebration with cake and ice cream.
Everyone rejoiced because of the woman’s joy. After that every day she took out her
coin and looked at it and rejoiced. But how did the teachers of the law respond? It
says nothing so we presume stony faced silence as Jesus went on to the parable of
the lost son which was squarely aimed at the religious leaders and their hard and
jealous hearts.
The responses to Jesus’ parables varied. Not all public sinners accepted him and not
all religious leaders completely rejected him. But through these stores Jesus teaches
us several important truths regarding God, sinners, and the heavenly kingdom. First,
Jesus values sinners. All people, no matter what they have done and who they are
have the eternal and precious image of God in them. This makes us all intrinsically
valuable. A gold coin may be covered in mud and filth and lost in the deepest recesses
of the sea in the most remote part of earth for hundreds of years, but when it is found
it shines just as bright as the day it was made. It becomes especially valuable and
receives a place of honor in a museum. It is the same with lost sinners. People spend
their lives in all kinds of dark ways doing evil things because they go far away from
God. But when Jesus finds them and they put their faith in him, he washes them with
his blood that he spilled on Calvary. They become pure, clean, holy and they shine
with the brilliance of the angels in heaven. When Jesus sees sinners such as tax
collectors and prostitutes he sees underneath the dirt to who they really can be in him.
Jesus not only loves, but genuinely values all people regardless of what they have
done. Jesus’ value for us in turn is a starting point for faith and a new life. Jesus
valued Levi the tax collector when no one else did, and said to him “Come follow me!”
So, Levi became Matthew, the writer of the first Gospel. The story goes over and over
again. The world rates us and stamps a value on us and even rejects us but when we
know Jesus who values us all deeply, then we can begin to value ourselves, and can
have hope and trust in Christ for our lives. We begin to value others. Jesus values
sinners so much that he spent three and one half years of his life on earth looking for
them. Jesus values sinners so much that he gave up his life for them on the cross.
Romans says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. How much more does
he value us now that he has bought us and redeemed us by his blood? Jesus values
all people and he wants us to value ourselves and others too.
Second, Jesus actively seeks sinners. The owners of the sheep and coin did not
passively stand by because they could never find themselves. They took action to go
and find them. The women took a lamp because it was so dark but she desperately
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wanted to find the coin. This light represents Jesus. John 1 says about Christ, “In him
was light, and that light was the light of men.” And “The light shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not understood it.” Jesus did not leave us alone in the darkness
of this sinful world but came to us with his bright light to find us even though it hurt our
eyes. Jesus came to seek and to save sinners because he valued them and wanted
to have mercy upon them in the darkness and find them and bring them to his kingdom.
When we were powerless and paralyzed in sin, Jesus came to find us.
Jesus still looks for lost sinners. He is still looking everywhere. But today, he uses us.
Jesus wants us to be his lights in this world to look for his precious sheep who are lost.
He wants us to be his hands, feet, and eyes to go out and find those who recognize
they are lost and what to be found. Passivity is often regarded as a virtue. One of
Americans’ favorite mottos is “Don’t bother me, and I won’t bother you!” I always enjoy
being passive because becoming active in other peoples’ lives can be difficult, time
consuming, messy, expensive, and often very much unappreciated. But that is what
Christ does. He spends his time looking for and finding lost sinners but he wants to
use us. So, for 2015 I pray to be less passive and instead to actively seek one person
to share Christ with through Bible study.
Lastly, Jesus tells us it is his joy to find lost sinners. Look at verses 10, “In the same
way, I tell you there is great rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one
sinner who repents.” We all look for things that bring us joy. We search high and low
for things on the internet, in the grocery store, in the mall. Through promotions, people,
food. And God graciously gives us reasons to rejoice such as with marriage, the birth
of a child, a promotion at work. God loves to give us things to rejoice over. But the
spark of joy that these things bring burns brightly for a short moment and then we look
for something new. As we become older and more jaded we find that these things do
not provide the joy they once did. That is why Jesus shares with us here his great joy
of finding lost people and making a relationship with them. Christ wants to share in his
joy of seeing people walk and grow in him. Our joy is to know Christ and have a hope
in the heavenly kingdom but these joys become greater when we see others share
more and more in them with us and Christ. It is a joy that never wears out but only
becomes greater. It makes us and Christ sad to see friends and family members far
away from him living in fear, sorrow, anger and condemnation of themselves and
others, but when they draw nearer to Christ it fills our hearts with joy.
Bruce Kwiatkowski, Toledo UBF, January 2015
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