SLIDES

A Parable of Reconciliation and Restoration

Part 1 Luke 15:1-7

Introduction

When my favorite aunt died in the early 1990’s. Linda got one of her rings. I don’t know how much it is worth financially, but it had a lot sentimental value.  The ring went missing in 2000. Linda looked, and looked and looked for that ring but never found it. I went to Lubbock, Texas to visit one a new missionary family who were going to join our team in Atlanta. The couple, Gary and Kathy, moved to Marietta in 2001. Several years later, Linda and Kathy were meeting. Linda told Kathy about the ring she had lost. Kathy asked her to describe the ring. The next time Linda and Kathy met, Kathy pulled out a ring and asked Linda if that we the one she had lost. Yes, it was. What has happed was that Linda washed and folded some of my T-shirts I took with me to Lubbock. When she folded them, the ring got caught in the T-shirts. In Texas the ring fell on the floor when I took one of the T-shirts out of my suit case. After I left, Kathy found it on the floor. It was not hers and she asked her son, whose room I stayed in, if it was his. It was not. So, she kept the ring until Linda told her the story about losing the ring. There was, of course, rejoicing when Linda got the ring back.

Everyone in here has lost something either of monetary or semimetal value. You looked, and looked, and looked. Some found the lost item and some did not. Today we are going to begin a series on the parable of Luke 15 which is about lost things – a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. Each of these were very important to the one whose item was lost. As you will see, this is one parable told in three parts or has three stories that complement each other.

Now, you have heard it said that the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son concern lost people who the Father seeks by using us as witnesses to share the gospel so people can get saved and join the church. But I say to you that this parable does not deal with the transformation of the lost, but has everything with the reconciliation and restoration of believers in Israel. People tend to focus on the word lost which automatically leads them to assume that this parable is about individuals who are lost spiritually and need salvation. They enter the text with the preconceived notion that this is the meaning of the parable. Therefore, the parable is interpreted and applied from that point of view from the get-go. The facts found in this parable show otherwise. The facts in the parable show that this parable is about reconciliation and restoration is and not about transformation.

Before we get into the text, let’s take a minute and discuss what a parable is. A parable is an earthly story that has a spiritual or heavenly meaning. Some teach that parable is all made up stories to teach a spiritual lesson. This may not be the case with all of them. It could be that Jesus took stories that had occurred recently that people were familiar with and could relate better to the story being told. Preachers and teachers do this all the time. They use current events to teach a spiritual lesson. It could have been that a shepherd who was attending the teaching of Jesus had gone after a lost sheep. Or maybe Jesus overheard a woman in the crowd taking about losing and finding a coin. Or maybe there was a story that people were familiar with conceding a wayward son who had returned home. A current event that people were aware of and that Jesus used in this parable would have much more of an impact on those listening to Jesus’ teaching of a parable.

The Setting of the Parable

The setting of this parable made up of the stories that occurred before the cross. The New Covenant that we are under the authority of today had not been ratified yet because Jesus had not died on the cross. The church will not be born for a several years. They were still living under the Law of Moses. This parable is not about the church. There is, however, as we shall see, an application to the church and, of course, to us who are part of the church.

This parable is about those in Isarel who were saved but were not living the lifestyle they should have lived as believers. They were backslidden. They had lost their way. They were out of fellowship with God.

Introduction to the Parable Luke 15: 1-3

15:1   Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He told them this parable, saying,

Before we can determine what’s going on, we must first identify four groups of people who Luke mentions in verses 1-3 – the tax collectors, the sinners, the Pharisees, and the scribes.

The Tax collectors - Tax collectors were Israelites who were revenue agents like   our IRS agents.  They charged tolls and taxes on behalf of the Roman government.  The were known as publicans in the KJV.  Tax collectors earned a profit by demanding a higher tax from the people than they had prepaid to the Roman government. The tax-collecting profession was saturated with unscrupulous people who overtaxed others to maximize their personal gain. Jews viewed such favor for Rome as betrayal and equal to treason against God. Rabbinic sources consistently align Jewish tax collectors with robbers.

The Sinners – Note that they were not just called sinners, they were designated as the sinners. They were those whose behavior or activity did not measure up to standard moral expectations of the scribes and Pharisees. They were considered outsiders because of their failure to conform to certain standards. They had more to do with not keeping rabbinical standards then keeping the Law of Moses. Some were persons that were involved in what some saw as dishonorable occupations such as prostitutes, tax collectors, shepherds, tanners, etc. They were seen as outsiders as compared to the normal Israelite. Non-Israelites were especially considered out of bounds.

The Pharisees – The Pharisees were one of the two main parties within Judaism in New Testament times, the other being the Sadducees. The origins of the two parties go back to the second century BC when Greek influence in Jewish affairs created divisions among the Jewish people. Most of the Pharisees came from the working classes and tried to preserve traditional Jewish practices from the corruption of foreign ideas and political ambition. They were intent on keeping letter of the of Law of Moses. They identified with most of the population in Israel. The Sadducees came mainly from the wealthy upper classes. Their chief concern was not with following tradition, but with using the religious and social structures of Jewish society to gain controlling power for themselves.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus said this about the Pharisees to show how influential they were. They “are … one of the sects of the Jews, as we have informed you already. These have so great a power over the multitude, that when they say anything against the king or against the high priest, they are presently believed.” (Antiquities 12:288)

The Scribes – A class of literate professionals ranging from copiers, secretaries, and government officials in the earlier OT period to special scholars and teachers of the Torah in the postexilic and NT periods.

The setting - Now let’s look at the setting in which the parable was told. Why is Jesus telling this parable?  In the previous parable found in Luke 14, Jesus told of a big dinner that a man was giving in which many were invited. The slave went out and told those invited that the dinner was ready.  All invited made excuses why they could not come. Then the master told the slave in verses 21-23,

“Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame. 22 And the slave said, “Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.” 23 And the master said to the slave, “Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.” 24 ‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.”

After Jesus told that parable, the self-righteous Pharisees and Scribes took note of who Jesus was welcoming, eating with and fellowshipping with. In that parable those invited were people like the Scribes and Pharisees. The Scribes and Pharisees were first invited because they were the religious leaders of the country. They did not want what Jesus was offering. So, Jesus turned to another group of people with whom He enjoyed fellowshipping with and eating – the outcasts of society. There were the tax-collectors like Matthew and Zaccheus, the tanners, shepherds, prostitutes like Mary Magdaline, etc. The Pharisees would never have invited these people to their dinner table. The Pharisees despised these people and thought that God did also. The Pharisees taught that “there is joy before God when those who provoke him perish from the world.” Since they believed that, then Jesus could not be the Messiah or God since He associated with these outcasts. They had no concept of God loving sinners like these people so they could come into fellowship with Him.

In Matthew 22:14 Jesus said “For many are called, but few are chosen.” And in Matthew 7:13, Jesus also said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” It is no different today as it was 2000 years ago!

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law who supported them resented the popularity of Jesus among the multitudes. They constantly sought some basis for rejecting Him. They noted that many who believed in Jesus were from the tax collectors and sinners. Many teach that this parable is about evangelism. As we shall see, the context and the words used are about fellowship of those who have gone astray, lost their way, as and as the Southern Baptist used to call it, and may some still do, backsliders.   

The Scribes and the Pharisees resented the popularity that Jesus had among a certain segment of the population. It appears it’s some these so-called reprobates are the one who had believed in Jesus One would think that the leaders of the country, the Pharisees and the Scribes, would be the ones who would have wanted to learn from the Messiah, but they did not want to give up their prestige and power. Their view was that the Messiah would never associate with people like this. Isaiah prophesied what part of the Messiah’s ministry would be. Jesus quoted this prophecy in Luke 4:18-19.

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” 20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses constantly complained about Jesus. They complained about what He taught, what He and His disciples did, and in this care who Jesus hung out with. The word receives means to receive in a friendly manner. The accusation by the Pharisees was only a reflection of their attitude toward sinners. In despising sinners or the outcasts, they deemed themselves to be reflecting the attitude of God toward sinners. The Pharisees taught that “there is joy before God when those who provoke him perish from the world.” Thus, in their thinking, God hated sinners and withdrew Himself from them. Remember that Jesus went to Samarians whom the Pharisees hated and also avoided. Since Christ welcomed the dregs of society and even ate with them, they concluded He could not be God.

Luie 4:3 - So He told them this parable, saying,

Jesus now proceeded to teach one parable with three parts to reveal the attitude of God toward the sinners he was associating with in contrast to the attitude of the Pharisees toward these same people. Jesus not only told this parable for the benefit of the Pharisees and scribes but He also wanted the crowds to understand the love and grace of God as compared to the Pharisees and scribes, the leaders of Israel.

The Lost Sheep Luke 15: 4-7

Jesus before telling the first parable, sets it up so it can be taken a little more personally. Instead of saying something like, “Let me tell you a story about a shepherd and his wayward sheep, He said in verse 4, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

Please notice that the wayward sheep who lost his way an integral part of the fold of the other 99 sheep. He already belonged to the shepherd. He was not bringing a new sheep into the fold. He was seeking a wayward sheep whom he already owned and had a relationship with. In Luke 15 the term lost is defined as follows in BDAG on page 116 under the Greek word ἀπόλλυμι.

③  to lose someth. that one already has or be separated from a normal connection, lose, be lost.

        •  —Of sheep gone astray Mt 10:6; 15:24; Lk 15:4, 6; B 5:12 (cp. Jer 27:6; Ezk 34:4; Ps 118:176).

        •  Of a lost son Lk 15:24 (Artem. 4, 33 ἡ γυνὴ … τ. υἱὸν ἀπώλεσε καὶ … εὗρεν αὐτόν);

Psalm 119:176 - I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

Jeremiah 27:6 “My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; They have gone along from mountain to hill; And have forgotten their resting place.

The wayward sheep needed to be restored to the 99 and the shepherd. The 100 probably represent the remnant in Israel who were true believers. In any period of biblical history, there has always been a remnant of believers. There was a remnant in Isaiah’s day and in Paul’s day as seen in Romans 11:5.

In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.

The 100 probably represents the sheepfold of Jewish believers that Jesus referred to in John 10. Among this remnant, there are going to be those who get out of fellowship with God and need to be restored. The sheep that was lost represents one of these wayward believers out of fellowship with God. The shepherd was concerned about his wayward sheep that he went after him. God was concerned about those in Israel who were lost spiritually but also those who were out of fellowship with Him to encourage them to repent and return to fellowship with God.  

Jesus’ ministry was more than just saving lost people.  Luke 19:10 says “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The parables in Luke 15 say that they sought what was lost and found what was lost. The words saved, salvation, redeemed, believe, trust, gospel, and other words dealing with forgiveness of sin and eternal life are not mentioned in these parables. The word repented is used. To have fellowship restored with God, repentance must take place. A change of mind that results in a change of direction.

Luke 15:5-6 - 5“When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

The shepherd was very happy he found his sheep. It did not say he saved his sheep but he found it. He invited his friends and neighbors celebrate with him that a wayward sheep had been restored.

This part of the parable represents God the Father seeking to restore those in Israel who were backslidden and out of fellowship with the Lord. They had lost their way spiritually. For hundreds of years, God sent the Jewish prophets to encourage them to return to fellowship with Him. Return to me and I will return to you. He then sent His’ Son, Jesus the Messiah, to encourage them to return to fellowship with Him and, yes, to save those who were unbelievers who needed transformation and who needed their sins forgiven so they could enter the Kingdom of the Messiah. Many rejected Jesus as the Messiah and many did not return to Him for fellowship, so God used the Romans in AD 70 to destroy the city of Jerusalem and the Temple and to begin to scatter the around the world for 1900 years.

7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Lord’s application to this part of the parable to the believers in Israel who were out of fellowship with God is clear. Jesus considered the ninety-nine sheep to represent righteous people i.e., believers. They needed no repentance. The wayward sheep did. Again, the text does not say the wayward sheep needed to be saved., redeemed, transformed, etc. The wayward sheep represents only 1% and the 99 sheep represent 99% who are spiritually saved and considered righteous. Therefore, the 99% who are righteous cannot represent the Bibles view that most are spiritually lost. The wayward sheep represents a wayward believer who needed to be restored to the Shephard and the 99.  Remember the word repent means to change one’s mind that should cause a change in direction. When an Israelite repented and joined in fellowship with God again, there was joy in heaven.

Application

There are some of you here today that are out of fellowship with Jesus. You are backslidden and are just going through the motions. You are just playing the game so to speak. You come to our connect group and to the morning service, but you get no joy in coming because you are out of fellowship with the Lord.  Life does not have much joy for you these days. “Well,” you say to the Lord, “I went to the connect and the morning service. In the back of you mind you really did not want to be here. You have probably stopped praying and reading or studying your Bible. You are just wandering in the desert.

I mentioned earlier that the Lord sent prophets for hundreds of years to encourage Israel to return to God for fellowship. We saw today in this lesson that Jesus was encouraging those who had wandered off to return. If you are out of fellowship with Jesus, then this lesson today is for you. For those of you who are out of fellowship with Jesus, this lesson today is for you to encourage you to return to Him. Remember several weeks ago Clay shared with us that the image of Jesus knocking on the door in Revelation 3:19-20 was not about Jesus encouraging he people on the other side of the door to trust in Christ as Savior. This is not an evangelistic verse. It is a verse that shows that Jesus knocking on the door of a church to encourage those out of fellowship with Him to return Him. When we have meals with other believers, it is usually for the purpose of fellowship. What does Jesus say in Revelation 3:19-20?

19    ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

20    ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Jesus says that there may be discipline for those who do not do what? Repent. In the letters to the seven churches in Asia, Jesus said several times in each letter to each church that He had something against them. He clearly told them they were out of fellowship. What did he recommend they do? Repent. Change one’s mind and direction and return to return to the Lord.

If you are here today out of fellowship with Jesus. You have left your first love.  He is seeking you and encouraging you to return to Him right now. We are now going to have a time of prayer for those of you who are out of fellowship with Jesus and who need to return to Him.

SELAH