Luke 15
In this chapter we have three very well-known and well-told parables. To be honest, probably little needs said about each, as we all will have heard sermons preached on them many times. However, before you turn away to chapter 16, please consider the following summary.
Each taken individually tell a tale of someone losing an object or person, only to search and find it, and rejoicing again. The parable of the lost sheep suggests that Jesus is the shepherd, carefully looking for the lost sheep; the woman losing the coin, part of her dowry, and the most important possession that she is allowed to own, suggesting that Jesus is searching for something vitally important to him; and the parable of the lost son, also known as the Prodigal Son, placing Jesus as the expectant father waiting for the lost son to return. Each on its own tells a complete story and has a well-formed meaning – but what if there’s more to the chapter?
Firstly, consider the circumstances – Jesus has come to another meal, but this time with “sinners and tax collectors”. Having spent considerable time in recent chapters telling us about the conversations and meals that Jesus has had with the religious leaders of the day, this places him in a completely different position. The religious leaders of the day are aware of the meeting, and they are not at all impressed.
Secondly, consider the statement that precedes the three parables – the Pharisees and religious leaders muttered, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.” To meet with sinners could be considered as part of the religious leaders’ duties, yet this isn’t necessarily the case! To be in their presence would be one thing, however, to eat with them would make them ritually unclean, so would be avoided at all costs. Remember this as you read the three parables!
The three parables taken as a set were not told to the sinners, but for the benefit of the religious leaders. They tell a tale of having lost something small and seemingly insignificant, yet to the person who has lost it, it is the most important thing they own!
The shepherd lost one sheep out of a flock of 100, yet he valued it so much that he left the main flock to search for the lost sheep. To most people, 99% sounds like a great result, but Jesus will search for perfection.
The woman who lost the coin which would have been worth a day’s wages, but to her they mean her birth right. Jesus was determined to bring back the full complement of the sinners who would follow him, not just the best of the people who could be considered acceptable. Just like the woman, Jesus would be prepared to get “his hands dirty” to find the remnants, not just the polished few!
The parable of the lost son, or the parable of the expectant father, tells of the longing that the father endures to bring his family back together. The elder son, whose birth right was to inherit the father’s property, is unimpressed by the return of the younger son who has taken his share of the inheritance and squandered it on poor living. The parable is unresolved, in that we never find out how the elder son eventually feels – does he always hold a grudge against his brother, or does he resolve his feelings?
The three parables are a condemnation of the “religious” views of the Pharisees and the religious elders of the day. Jesus uses the three different situations to shame the religious leaders, showing that his ministry amongst the tax collectors and sinners is really the people who deserve to be sought out and saved, and their value is considered by God as equal to any other of the socially more acceptable people.
I wonder if the today’s church is guilty of being just like the Pharisees, in that we are too seldom prepared to get our hands dirty and be in the company of people that the world is ashamed of, or those who are shunned by the world? Perhaps we should take these three parables as a warning to us all as the Church (capital C!), and examine our motivations and values.
Comments
Post a Comment