PARABLE 29 — LUKE 15:3-7 — THE LOST SHEEP
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
PARABLE 30 — LUKE 15:8-10 — THE LOST COIN
8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
The parables of the lost may have been inspired by Ezekiel 34:11,12,16:
“For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. I will seek them which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which is broken, and will strengthen that which was sick…”
Discussion Questions – Parable 30
PARABLE 29 — LUKE 15:3-7 — THE LOST SHEEP
1. Who was Jesus’ audience for this parable? (15:1-2) And what does this parable reveal?
The parable of the lost sheep was told by Jesus when the Pharisees and scribes criticized Him for socializing with publicans and sinners. Through this story of compassion, Jesus revealed his rescue mission for sinners.
Ultimately God was seeking out those who were lost to Him and bringing them back into a loving relationship with Him. That is certainly the point here – and all must realize their need to be found by Him. But we should also recognize that God desires us to be like Him in seeing the importance of relationships with other people and strive to reconcile or restore fellowship with them.
2. Why were the Pharisees upset Jesus received and ate with sinners?
The message which these two parables brought home to the Pharisees and scribes is painfully clear: they had too much compassion on their own lost possessions, but they cared little for lost people. This is why they could not rejoice at the repentance of lost sinners. But there is even more than this. It isn’t that the Pharisees and scribes found it impossible to rejoice; they actively resisted—they grumbled. The bottom line was that the Pharisees wrongly believed that it was good works which merited God’s favor, rather than His grace manifested toward sinners. That is the way God’s grace works—it is bestowed on unworthy people, sinners, who do not trust in their good works, but in God’s grace.
This explains the Pharisees’ rejection of Jesus. He came to bring salvation to sinners, by grace, through faith, and not of works: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The problem of the Pharisees was that they were too good for their own good. They viewed others as “sinners,” but not themselves. They believed that they, by keeping the law, could earn God’s favor, and that unworthy sinners would be condemned to hell. They failed to see themselves as unworthy sinners, and thus they not only rejected God’s grace, they disdained it.
3. What could Jesus have meant about the ninety-nine that needed no repentance?
There are no "just" people on earth who need no repentance, (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Psalm 14:2-3; Romans 3:10-18). Our Saviour did not mean to imply that there were any such.
Jesus does seem to grant that the ninety-nine are actually righteous here. This is because, at the moment, it is the return and reception of the lost which is at issue, not the “righteousness” of the righteous. Jesus grants them their premise, not because it was true, but because He wished to keep the focus on the issue at hand. The unrighteousness of “self-righteousness” will be exposed in the parable of the prodigal son, which is up-coming.
Lost meaning, when they are found they realize their need for repentance. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).” In order to repent a person sees their lost condition, and rejoices over being found. Likewise heaven rejoices over the (one) that repents than over the ninety-nine that did not see a need to repent.
4. “Sinner” is not a word that often comes up in casual conversation. What comes to mind when you hear the word?
5. What does the word “sin” mean?
Webster Dictionary describes sin as “transgression of the law of God. 1 john 3:4 says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
See on blog – What is sin?
See on blog – Scriptures About Sin
6. How are we like sheep? In what ways do we go astray?
The parable begins with a straying sheep. A sheep apart from its shepherd is defenseless and in grave danger. Jesus views any person apart from Him as lost. How is he lost? His sins alienate him from God.
Sin in our life will lead us astray. (Name some things that can make you stray from God.)
7. How do you think the shepherd reacted toward the lost sheep once he found it? How does the picture of “rejoicing in heaven” over repentance make you feel?
The shepherd in the story, however, didn’t despise his straying sheep. With a heart of compassion, Jesus also values each sinner the Father entrusts Him: “And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day” (John 6:39). Jesus is intent upon rescuing the sinner not only because the Father gave them to Him but also because He loves them. His love led Him to sacrifice His life on the cross to take their punishment for sin.
The parable of the lost sheep also illustrates Christ’s attitude toward the saved sinner. The parable gives no indication of the shepherd ever rebuking or chiding. Instead, he hoists the sheep upon his shoulders and takes it home. An adult sheep may weigh anywhere from 110 to 125 pounds; it would be no small effort to carry one over the shoulder. For joy over finding that which was lost, the shepherd bears the discomfort. Likewise, Jesus bore the weight of our sins upon the cross. As High Priest and Mediator, He continues to bear our cares and infirmities before the Father. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. . . . For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25).
Finally, the parable of the lost sheep offers an extraordinary glimpse of heavenly emotions. The shepherd calls his friends and neighbors together, saying, “Rejoice with me.” The rescue of the lost sheep was a cause for proclamation and celebration. Similarly, Heaven rejoices when a sinner repents and is restored to fellowship with God. Why? A sinner has come home! Such news delights the heart of heaven (Luke 15:7,10).
PARABLE 30 — LUKE 15:8-10 — THE LOST COIN
1. What value did the woman put on each coin? Why did she look so hard for it? How was this likened unto what Jesus is saying?
In the parable, the sinner is likened to a valuable coin which has been lost. The woman does not take a lax attitude towards her lost possession. No. First she lights a lamp, necessarily expending oil, so that she can see clearly. Next, instead of simply glancing here and there, she uses a broom or some utensil to sweep her house so that she can reach places that might otherwise be inaccessible to her. Above all, she searches carefully. There is no hint of indifference, only diligence. This coin was valuable; she must find it at all costs.
Jesus wanted the religious leaders to understand how he felt about those who were lost. When we are lost sinners, we are not just “out there” somewhere away from God. God longed for us so much that He took the ultimate action; He offered up His Son as a sacrificial lamb. This He did to cleanse the sinner from sin and restore him to Himself. He would go through any means, any expense to bring them to Himself.
The parable of the lost coin also gives us a glimpse of that in which the Lord delights. In this parable, once the woman has found her coin, she calls her friends and neighbors in order to share the good news. When a sinner is restored to fellowship with God, it is a cause for rejoicing. This is the whole plan of salvation; this is why Christ came. This is the splendid, marvelous, most glorious act in the history of the universe. God seeks sinners and rejoices when they are found. He is not content for any sinner to be away from Him: “. . .He is longsuffering toward us, he is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
2. Should we, as Christians, seek out those that are lost with the hope of Christ? Should we seek the lost and try and reconcile them to God?
These two parables show us the heart of God and the mission of Christ. God's mission in Christ is to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). This story challenges us to look at our own hearts, to see God's heart, and to move with compassion to reach the lost with the hope of Christ.
In order to participate in this mission of God, we too must leave behind some things and go after those who have not yet been reconciled to Him. We must leave our comfort zones and selfish desires behind to join God in His mission for the lost sheep!
The astonishing thought of the mission of God is that He has chosen to use us as His ambassadors to accomplish this mission. “And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, that you be reconciled to God.” (2Co 5:18-20).
3. Note with me the following characteristics of the two parables, which is a key to our understanding what Jesus meant to be understood by them?
(1) In both parables, sinfulness is not stressed (in going astray, getting lost), but lostness.
(2) In both parables, the owner takes the initiative, seeking the lost.
(3) In both cases, the owner seeks diligently and persistently.
(4) In both cases, the owner rejoices and invites and expects his neighbors to do likewise.
(5) In both cases, the rejoicing of the one who has found the lost item is likened to the rejoicing of heaven to the salvation of one sinner.
(6) In both cases, it is not men who are lost, but things, and it is man (generically speaking, for there is both a man and a woman) that seeks diligently to find what is lost.
(7) In both cases, I believe, the parable is not primarily intended as a picture of God’s seeking after lost men, but of men seeking after lost things.
(8) In both cases, the parables can also be viewed as how God diligently seeks for those that are lost and heaven rejoices when one is found and realizes their lost condition and repents.
4. In what ways does God’s value of people differ from ours? Who would you rejoice more over accepting Jesus as savior, a close family member or a scavenger in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump? (Be honest!)
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