No wonder people are flocking to their accountants or those who professionally prepare tax forms. Note verse 5, rejoicing; verse 6, rejoice; verse 7, joy; verse 9, rejoice; verse 10, joy. Heaven is already filled with joy, but when a sinner gets saved, they throw a party, just as the father of the prodigal son did! (6) The younger repented; the older resented. I am now convinced of one thing: the parable of the prodigal son is not recorded in Scripture primarily as instruction to parents of wayward children. Repentance means turning to God from our sins. Matthew 6:34 He put it securely on his shoulders and carried it home. Through many dangers, toils and snares. My friend, it matters little whether you are a socially acceptable sinnerlike the Phariseesor a socially unacceptable sinnerlike the prodigal. Note with me the following characteristics of the first two parables, which is a key to our understanding what Jesus meant to be understood by them, as well as the basis upon which the third parable can be interpreted. When we finally found her, we were so thankful and relieved. Lets have a feast and celebrate. But is the womans effort justified? Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. We come to Him in prayer, not for the fellowship and communion we can have with Him, but for the things we want Him to provide for us and for our enjoyment. Jesus first tells the parable of the lost sheep. In the case of the shepherd, he had to take whatever time it took to search for his lost sheep. 21:17). Let us concentrate, then, on each of the three central characters of this parable. The shepherd leaves his 99 other sheep and goes after the lost one, searching until He finds it. because this son of mine was dead, and is alive againhe was lost and is found! So they began to celebrate. The most dramatic example of this in recent times was the rejoicing of the nation as Jessica McClure emerged from a well shaft, where she had been lost for several days. He launched the search. Jesus replied, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The Lord hates pride, and so the Pharisees were just as sinful as the more outwardly notorious sinners whom they despised. The biblical description of those who do not know Jesus Christ is not unsaved, but lost. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. He was the well-known "blind man," whose experience of his own blindness had extended from birth to manhood. Peter was not a shepherd by trade; he was a fisherman. His anger toward his brother and his unwillingness to receive him back was due to the fact that he had squandered part of his fathers possessions. Sinners in our minds are those who are characterized by certain socially unacceptable activities. If you dont, then you will have to face Gods judgment, either after death (Heb 9:27), or at Christs appearance, and without Him standing in for you, you will pay for your own sins and for all time. He cares about every lost sinner who needs repentance. (4) In both cases, the owner rejoices and invites and expects his neighbors to do likewise. The structure of the entire chapter can be summarized as follows: (1) The Pharisees Response To Jesus Association with SinnersVerses 1 & 2, (2) Mans Response to the Lost, Compared with HeavensVerses 3-10, (3) The Older Brothers Response to the Return of His Sinful Brothervv. 2:12). because my son was dead and is alive again. ), in which case he was bound by the provisions of the Law. and they said to Moses, Your servants have taken a census of men of war who are in our charge, and no man of us is missing. But Jesus socialized with lost sinners and rejoiced when they came to repentance. The rules for disposing of property are given in the Mishnah (Baba Bathra 8). They are not in the fold or household of faith, but in the household of Israel, made up both of those who are saved and those who are not. Bible Hub I can envision Jesus audience sucking in their breath in shock and horror at what this man had done. Esth 3;10; 8:2; Gen 41:42), the shoes a sign of a free manslaves went barefootand the feast a sign of joy Talbert, p. 150. When I walked my son across the street in his youth, I didnt tell him, Okay, hold on as tight as you canits up to you to hold on tight! No, I said, Ive got your hand, and Im not letting go. God is the One Who preserves us and keeps us in His name. It isnt that the Pharisees and scribes found it impossible to rejoice; they actively resistedthey grumbled. He had hoped, at best, for a little bread; his father provided a banquet. (4) The younger did not any longer feel worthy of his fathers blessings; the older did. We've no less days to sing God's praise. He has filled me with His Spirit and given me eternal life in Him. The only sound I hear is the slow drip of a leaking kitchen faucet. But God took out after me and ran me down. Her meal preparation was postponed. The kids were always getting in trouble with the law. But there is even more than this. No, the glad fact is, you are not secure in your salvation because of your grip on the Good Shepherd, but rather because of His grip on you. I am not especially fond of artists pictures of Jesus, but I do like the one that shows the smiling shepherd with a lamb on his shoulders. For less than $5/mo. For this my son was dead, and is alive again! And they began to be merry. A person who says, I believe in Jesus, but who does not repent of his sins, has not truly believed in Jesus unto salvation. They know the joys of Gods glorious presence in heaven, where those rescued by the Good Shepherd will spend eternity. This is the final lesson in a nine part study for children on the parables of Jesus. Than when we've first begun. 8 It was fitting is not strong enough for his word edei, which means It was necessary. The welcome to the younger son was not simply a good thing which might or might not have occurred. But they were blind toward their own hypocrisy and pride. And they began to have a good time. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; They have gone along from mountain to hill. Is salvation by grace plus works a false gospel? Their house and lawn were a mess. This young man went and lived among the heathen as a heathen. The things that make us happy reflect our values or what we consider important. 255 We should not let the modern chapter division make us miss an important point. Why Your Church Needs Vacation Bible School, Gods Amazing Conversions Through Dreams and Visions Part Three, Gods Amazing Conversions Through Dreams and Visions Part Two, Gods Amazing Conversions Through Dreams and Visions Part One, Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies Movie Review, Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure Movie Review, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island Movie Review. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed. Should one abandon the 99 sheep, leaving them vulnerable to getting lost or to attack by wild animals? They The seriousness of the young brothers sins can only be understood in the light of his identity (I am assuming) as an Israelite. But, thank God, He has intervened! It is unqualified. When Jesus taught simply, He threatened to undermine the complicated, technical teaching of the Pharisees, and thus they opposed people pursuing Him to hear His teaching. But neither son found the father desirable to be with and to enjoy his person. Repentance begins by seeing ones actions as sinful, first in the sight of God, and then in the sight of men. Let us give serious thought to the matter of biblical separation, for much that passes under this label is counterfeit. The young man realized his folly and he returned to face his father. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them.. Few of us will choose to identify with the older brother, and yet, in the context of chapter 15, he is the central figure, his sin is most in view, and his reaction to his brothers repentance and return is our Lords explanation for the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes. Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. He was lost, but now he is found. So the party began. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. Related Topics: Soteriology (Salvation), Cultural Issues, Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. He sent the Holy Spirit to pursue you with the good news that Christ died for your sins. Jack has written 1300 articles on What Christians Want To Know! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Again, let me briefly apply this. Just so, I tell you, there will be This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.. The problem of the Pharisees was that they were too good for their own good. We, like the Pharisees, seem to think that our holiness is measured by the distance we keep from sinners. The Bible speaks of holiness in terms of the closeness we keep to Christ. How could he say that he had never neglected a command of his father when, moments before, his father had commanded that there be a celebration, and the older brother had refused to take part? 8:32). The biblical description of those who do not know Jesus Christ is not unsaved, but lost. The third parable depicts the loving and forgiving heart of God (in the father), the repentance of the sinner (in the younger brother), and the sullen joylessness of the Pharisees (in the older brother). He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. The older brother was angry with the father because he felt he did not get what he deserved (a banquet), while the younger brother got what he didnt deserve (a banquet). It actually says a lot about the security of the saints, and its not up to the saints to hold onto it by their own efforts alone. Parents who have or are presently struggling with wayward children will tend to identify with the father of the prodigal, and look at this text for guidance and comfort for them in the midst of their pain and adversity. I sit in a house that once resonated with life and laughter, but now sits as an empty shell of silence. He told it because the Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt. Thus the righteous are the self-righteous who need to repent just as much as the tax gatherers and sinners, but who are blind to their need. Today we will look at the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. A prolonged form of a primary heuro, which heureo is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect to find. Start your free trial today! Blind, physically or mentally. Then Old Testament had very specific legislating to assure that the inheritance of each family was kept within the family, and that the children cared for their parents. Rejoice. Do you think that now He will let you go back into your sins and be lost again? Jesus said were in His and the Fathers hands (John 10:28-29). They found banquets to be occasions where they could attract attention to themselves, where they could be in the limelight. Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. One line in the familiar hymn Amazing Grace says, I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. We may have sung it a thousand times without Today, I testify to the greatness of my Shepherd, that He would allow me to hear His voice. They would search for the lost coin, just as they would rejoice in finding it. Many also cite Hebrews 10:26-29 which says, For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. (4) Neither son seems to have really appreciated or loved their father, even though he loved both of them. Today, it stands as a testimony of what was. My dear people of Mars Hill Baptist Church, my Shepherd reminds me today that I too am a testimony of what was. But unlike this special house, I have a different testimony; I once was empty, lost and undone, wandering aimlessly in my sin, but the Great Shepherd came and found me. But it does mean that many actions which appear righteous and spiritualprayer, for examplemay be evil, if the attitude behind the action is evil. The lost sheep and the lost coin were passive in the process. Look in the back of your Bible; it may have a Bible concordance (index) which will direct you to a few verses that contain each word that you find in the concordance. The critical difference between Jesus and the Pharisees is that they cared about possessions, while Jesus cared about people. Lets clear this matter up, so that Christianity can cut across social lines and into our culture. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. So he got up and went to his father. Its an empty, hopeless word when Our text is Lukes account of three parables, each of which describes the finding of a lost item, and each of which describes the joy and celebration which resulted. 'Twas grace has brought us safe thus far. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Believers can have their joy robbed too by living in such fear, and for no good reason (1 John 4:18). p. 241. For us, this story may seem to be a very heart-warming incident, only slightly tarnished by the sulking older brother. Verse Concepts. (Verse 25) Peter reminds his readers of what they were before Jesus Christ became their Savior and Lord: For you were like sheep going astray., Wiersbe expounds: Every lost sinner is like a sheep gone astray; ignorant, lost, wandering, in danger away from the place of safety, and unable to help himself., Barclay writes: Men are all prone to wander and go astray, like silly sheep, which describes the condition of Peters readers before their conversion [repentance and trust in Jesus Christ which leads to their following Jesus]..