Biblical Text: Luke 15.1-10

The verses that we heard this morning, are perhaps not quite as well known as the story, the parable that comes directly afterward. That, of course, is the parable of the prodigal son. But the parables Jesus tells of the lost sheep and the losy coin, and then of the prodigal son, are, in a sense, three different musical instruments playing very much the same tune, perhaps with a slightly different emphasis. I’m going to try as much as possible to ignore the prodigal son for this morning, as easy as that is, and as fun as that is to preach on, and focus on these two passages.

“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.”

We are at a point in the gospel of Luke, where Jesus’ ministry is picking up pace. He’s becoming more and more well known. And people are coming specifically just to listen and to hear from him. But perhaps awkwardly, he’s attracting some people that not everyone wants to be around.

The Pharisees and the Scribes had kept a tight rein on who could count themselves as faithful. Observance of the law meant you were, at the very least, outwardly acceptable. So if everything looked good on the outside, you could become part of religious life. But Jesus has begun to attract those whose lives were not polished examples of religious faith. Tax collectors aren’t very popular even now, but Jewish tax collectors who collected money to give to the Romans or Herod were even less so. They were traitors. And we don’t know what Luke means by sinners, but we can assume it was fairly obvious to the crowds gathered around Jesus what that meant.

And what does Jesus do? He welcomes them. He even eats with them. It’s a fairly intimate act in most cultures, but even more so in Jesus’ time. And then he tells two parables (three, if you include the prodigal son). Three parables that speak of God’s love, and of our lostness.

So first we have a sheep and a shepherd. It’s not difficult to imagine who God might be in this parable. Throughout scripture, God is referred to as the shepherd of his people, the one who watches over his sheep. Psalm 23 is the most well known passage, of course. But there’s more in Isaiah 40v11 and Ezekiel 34 as well. But here Jesus asks his hearers to step into God’s shoes.

If you were the shepherd, “Which one of you would not leave the 99 to search for the one?” And once the one is found, he brings it home. There’s rejoicing with family and friends that his lost sheep is back. And Jesus provides a very succinct interpretation, just to make very clear what he means.

There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than the 99 righteous who need not repent.

I sometimes wonder if Jesus said “righteous” in air quotes, a knowing nod towards the Pharisees and Scribes. After all, aren’t we all in need of repentance? Aren’t we all in need of returning to God?

In our second parable, we have a woman who has lost a coin. It seems as though it’s one of ten she had. Perhaps it’s a dowry, but either way, that’s one tenth of her wealth, a significant amount. She lights a lamp, searches high and low, and when she’s found it, she rejoices with family and friends that her coin has been found. And again, Jesus interprets. “There’s joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents.”

So what can we say about these 2 parables? It seems clear that Luke puts them together in one place because they’re essentially saying the same thing. In both cases, we have something that is lost, and incapable of finding its way back.

Sheep need a shepherd. Once they’ve wandered off, they’re lost, without someone going to look for them.

When I was growing up, you used to be able to watch sheep dog trials on TV. The skills of the dogs and their owners were incredible. But it was clear the sheep weren’t going to find the way into the pen themselves. They needed that dog to guide them around the field. It was essential.

And with a coin, that’s even more pronounced. Coins don’t simply find their way back to their owner. They need someone to search for them.

Both sheep and coin are helpless. Their help must come from the outside. But in both cases, that help that comes from the outside does not come from a frustrated and irate owner, but from one who lovingly searches for their possessions. Both sheep and coin need help from the outside. But the helper does not guilt trip them. Instead, they rejoice because what is lost is now found. Jesus’s message here is about our helplessness, and God’s rejoicing.

Some people have looked at the 3 parables here as an image of the work of the Trinity. In the first, Jesus is the good shepherd going out to search for his sheep. In the prodigal son, God the Father is waiting patiently at home, eager for the son to return. And in the story of the coin, the light is the Holy Spirit, lighting the way for the church to find the lost.

Maybe that’s a good way to imagine it.

But it’s also interesting to me that again and again, throughout these parables, the word repent comes up. Jesus goes out to seek and to save, but repentance is needed. The lost are sought, but they must accept they are lost. They have to know that they need finding.

Perhaps that is the role of us as a church – to pray, to search, and to accept that we too, are lost without Christ. We too need finding, and we can rejoice with God over all who are found.

One last point about the prodigal son. It can be very tempting when we hear the story of the prodigal son, to side with the older brother. If you’ve been in church for a long time, and you see people finally being found by Jesus, and you think, but wait, I’ve been here the entire time. It’s important to remember that we are all always in need of saving. We are all, always in need of being found by Jesus. And to repent is a call for all of us.

Amen.