Luke 15
March Memory Verse: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:10 NIV
Read: Luke 15
In the introduction to his commentary on Luke 15, Matthew Henry writes,
“Evil manners, we say, beget good laws; so, in this chapter, the murmuring of the scribes and Pharisees at the grace of Christ, and the favour he showed to publicans and sinners, gave occasion for a more full discovery of that grace than perhaps otherwise we should have had in these three parables which we have in this chapter, the scope of all of which is the same, to show, not only what God had said and sworn in the Old Testament, that he had no pleasure in the death and ruin of sinners, but that he had great pleasure in their return and repentance, and rejoices in the gracious entertainment he gives them thereupon.”
As Henry writes, the focus in these three parables is on sinners who return (repent) to God. It all begins in verse 1, where the Pharisees are grumbling that Jesus is spending time with “sinners.” It is helpful in understanding Jesus’s response here, to remind ourselves of this month’s memory verse: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10) The reason Jesus came was to receive sinners.
These parables, therefore, illustrate just how great of lengths that Jesus is willing to go to bring sinners back to God.
• In verses 3-7 we see that he is willing to leave the 99 in order to find the 1. Based on verse 7, I think the 99 are referring to those who think themselves “righteous” and therefore need no repentance. Jesus is subtly calling out the Pharisees false sense of righteousness.
• In verses 8-10, Jesus is showing again what lengths he is willing to go to finding something that is lost, and how much joy there is when a sinner is brought to repentance.
• Lastly, in what is one of the more well-known stories in the Bible, Jesus talks about the travesty of a son who wants his inheritance early, a move that essentially communicates that the son wishes the father were already dead, who then goes and spends that inheritance on sin and debauchery, and ends up being in a place that is lower than the dirtiest animal in the Jewish culture: the pig. The father’s response to seeing the return of his son would have confounded the Jews listening. In such a familial and shame driven culture, you just didn’t accept people back like he did to that son. But this again shows the beautiful picture of grace that God offers to those who repent of their sin and turn to Christ.
We know that Jesus was indeed willing to go to great lengths to bring sinners to God. He was willing to die on the cross for our sin, and through his resurrection he was able to provide a way for sinners to come to God and be awakened from their spiritual death.
Do you have this same heart for people who are far from God? Do you practice a lifestyle of repenting of your sin and returning to God when you do sin?
Spend some time asking God to help you put these Biblical principles to work in your own life.
By: Graham Withers
Read: Luke 15
In the introduction to his commentary on Luke 15, Matthew Henry writes,
“Evil manners, we say, beget good laws; so, in this chapter, the murmuring of the scribes and Pharisees at the grace of Christ, and the favour he showed to publicans and sinners, gave occasion for a more full discovery of that grace than perhaps otherwise we should have had in these three parables which we have in this chapter, the scope of all of which is the same, to show, not only what God had said and sworn in the Old Testament, that he had no pleasure in the death and ruin of sinners, but that he had great pleasure in their return and repentance, and rejoices in the gracious entertainment he gives them thereupon.”
As Henry writes, the focus in these three parables is on sinners who return (repent) to God. It all begins in verse 1, where the Pharisees are grumbling that Jesus is spending time with “sinners.” It is helpful in understanding Jesus’s response here, to remind ourselves of this month’s memory verse: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10) The reason Jesus came was to receive sinners.
These parables, therefore, illustrate just how great of lengths that Jesus is willing to go to bring sinners back to God.
• In verses 3-7 we see that he is willing to leave the 99 in order to find the 1. Based on verse 7, I think the 99 are referring to those who think themselves “righteous” and therefore need no repentance. Jesus is subtly calling out the Pharisees false sense of righteousness.
• In verses 8-10, Jesus is showing again what lengths he is willing to go to finding something that is lost, and how much joy there is when a sinner is brought to repentance.
• Lastly, in what is one of the more well-known stories in the Bible, Jesus talks about the travesty of a son who wants his inheritance early, a move that essentially communicates that the son wishes the father were already dead, who then goes and spends that inheritance on sin and debauchery, and ends up being in a place that is lower than the dirtiest animal in the Jewish culture: the pig. The father’s response to seeing the return of his son would have confounded the Jews listening. In such a familial and shame driven culture, you just didn’t accept people back like he did to that son. But this again shows the beautiful picture of grace that God offers to those who repent of their sin and turn to Christ.
We know that Jesus was indeed willing to go to great lengths to bring sinners to God. He was willing to die on the cross for our sin, and through his resurrection he was able to provide a way for sinners to come to God and be awakened from their spiritual death.
Do you have this same heart for people who are far from God? Do you practice a lifestyle of repenting of your sin and returning to God when you do sin?
Spend some time asking God to help you put these Biblical principles to work in your own life.
By: Graham Withers
8 Comments
I love this chapter! It teaches me so much but mostly it shows me the heart of a loving God spares no expense to save me. It shows extent of God's great love for the world. It moves my heart.
Thank you for this insight, Graham! These are stories many of us are very familiar with. But every time I read these parables, I am reminded of the love and grace of God. The parable of the prodigal son is one that has brought me a lot of comfort over my time following Jesus. When the Spirit reveals sin in my heart, my first response is often shame or guilt. "I am not worthy to be called your son [daughter]" is a statement I feel in those moments.
Yet, this parable that Jesus tells shows so clearly the grace and love of God. Look at the father's response to the son's statement that he's unworthy- "... for this son of mine..." Even when we feel unworthy, God accepts us as His child. It's clear in this parable that God does not want us to sulk in our sin, but to turn back to His open arms. He rejoices when we repent!
Of all my years on studying God's Word these 3 parables have been the most difficult for me to grasp. I understand that God's grace and mercy extends beyond what we can imagine; this is why He came, to seek and save the lost. His grace for all no matter who they are or what their sin is because we are born into sin. Here is my question. The 99 sheep were safe and not lost, the 9 coins were safe and only one was lost, the son that stayed home, although he complained was always with his father, verse31. How can there be "more" joy in heaven when one is found? If it is more than I would assume there is joy for the 99 that did not stray? How can there be joy if 99 are not righteously, especially more joy. How do we interpreted verse 31? I have to believe the parable are directed at "one" but it God's grace is never ceasing or never ending, that every person who is lost is important. All three parables seem to be directed at the pharisees and scribes of course and that they are so blinded by their self righteousness that they cannot see the grace nor can they see that it is God's perfect righteousness and perfect sacrifice when we admit, believe and confess. I am interested in comments. I have/ had 4 brothers and sisters, brothers have passed away, only 2 sisters left. I was blessed to lead my brother Vonnie to the Lord 10 years ago and we both got so excited, cried, shouter and celebrated over that one brother.
I am not sure, but I think that there is a tendency among those who have "stayed righteous and not strayed" to become suddenly jealous to discover our Heavenly Father missed our wayward brothers and sisters far more than we realized.
In 3John1:4, John says
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
How great is the grief when they are not. I think that perhaps the joy of knowing they have returned is mixed with the humbling of knowing that without God is it not possible to change, restore, transform, bring home.
Reading this chapter and its parables made me think of the sinful woman in chapter 7. She was so painfully aware of her lostness and so grateful for grace that all she could do was cry and kiss the feet of Jesus. When someone reaches this state it is the most beautiful, profound and valuable condition in which anyone could be. To me, the focus of all these parables is the incomparably precious moment of truly comprehending the gift of grace and receiving it.
I am not sure, but I think that there is a tendency among those who have "stayed righteous and not strayed" to become suddenly jealous to discover our Heavenly Father missed our wayward brothers and sisters far more than we realized.
In 3John1:4, John says
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
How great is the grief when they are not. I think that perhaps the joy of knowing they have returned is mixed with the humbling of knowing that without God is it not possible to change, restore, transform, bring home.
I have so many feelings about the lost son parable. As a parent, I understand the heart of the father, as a sinner who has been saved by grace - I understand the returning son, and I understand the frustration of the son who was committed to the work & "did the right thing". I have listened to many different teaching in this parable, but every time I read it I feel something different and empathize with a different character.
I always love the picture here of the father waiting and hoping for his son to return, and then, when his son is still far off, the father sees him and comes running. It shows that the father never gave up hope. The father wanted the son so badly to return from his life of sin and come back to the family. We are often like the brother, wanting to be praised for all of the good that we do, but God cares just as much for the sinner who repents as he does for those that are "good" and don't make the bad choices of the prodigal son. I pray that I will have that same heart for the lost and rejoice when God saves them. We were all lost at one point too, and needed that same love from the savior!
I gotten new perspectives on these parables! Thank you for a great blog and commentaries today!