Have you ever lost your keys, your wallet, or your glasses? If you have, there is one universal truth about losing something important to you. As long as it is lost, it is useless and of no benefit to you.
Luke 15 contains three parables that focus on things that are lost. However, before exploring the parables, it’s important to understand the circumstances that prompted Jesus to share them.
Earlier in the accounts of Jesus, we see that He shared meals with tax collectors and sinners—people who were considered highly disreputable.
Proper Jewish society, particularly the Pharisees, believed in the essence of the saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” To them, dining with such individuals implied sharing in their character. Since Jesus ate with them, they assumed He must be like them.
Luke records the conflict like this: Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.
And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:1-2).
The parables Jesus told were His way of answering their accusations. He explained that His approach to reaching the lost was not through criticism or ostracism of tax collectors and sinners. Instead, He chose to share meals with them, demonstrating God’s love.
He reasoned with them using the Parable of the Lost Sheep.
“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:4-7).
The first time I heard this parable, I wondered what happened to the other 99 sheep. The answer is that someone with a flock of 100 sheep would typically have workers to assist him.
He left the 99 sheep in their care and went personally to search for the one that was lost.
The pastor I served with in Louisiana was an avid bird hunter. While training a young hunting dog, the dog discovered a flock of tame geese in a farmer’s pond.
Excited, the dog jumped into the water to chase the geese, but they swam to one end of the pond, staying just out of reach. When the dog got close, the geese turned and swam to the other end. Back and forth they went until the dog was completely exhausted.
Finally, the pastor had to pull the tired dog out of the water, place the wet dog on his shoulders, and carry him all the way back to the truck.
The shepherd in Jesus’ parable didn’t have a wet dog to carry but an exhausted sheep. With the same care and compassion, the shepherd placed the sheep on his shoulders and carried it back.
When he returned, he rejoiced with his friends, celebrating that the lost sheep had been found.
The Moral of the Story
The parable offered two clear explanations for those willing to hear Jesus’ message.
First, sharing meals with outcasts and sinners was like the shepherd finding his lost sheep, going to the effort of placing it on his shoulders, and carrying it home.
Second, these meals symbolized rejoicing over what God had accomplished. A person who was lost had been found. Someone who had once been disconnected from God’s kingdom was now a useful instrument for His work in the world.
Christian Witness in 2024
In a time when door-to-door evangelism was common, a friend and I decided to try it one evening just as it was getting dark. Both of us were fairly big guys, and we were wearing coats. Interestingly, no one opened their doors to us.
When we got back home, we realized why—if we had been in their shoes, we probably wouldn’t have opened the door to two large men in leather jackets either.
Evangelism has evolved over the years. While that approach used to be effective, times have changed, and we need to adapt.
One of the best ways now is to build genuine friendships with those we hope to influence for Christ. By taking the time to listen to their stories—their hopes, dreams, and desires—we earn the right to share our own story: how Jesus has transformed our lives for the better.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It’s on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 