|
|
Pastor Rene's Bible studies
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The lost sheep
The accusation is: "This man welcomes sinners and eat with them."
V. 4,5; Go after the lost sheep
Jesus used this earthly illustration and brought it up in the heavenlies to show the pharisees the heart of God and the work of grace.
Luke 15:8 (NIV) "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
One coin was a day's salary (20% of weekly salary).
Rejoice with me, I found my lost coin.
The first two parables describe the work of grace. The shepherd seeks his sheep, the woman her piece of money: the sheep and the piece of silver are passive.
In Chap 14, They were watching if Jesus would heal a man suffering from dropsy.
In Chap 13, The synaguoge ruler was offended because on a Sabbath day, Jesus healed a woman crippled by a spirit for 18 years.
Luke 15:11 (NIV) Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father.
"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. 21 "The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 `Your brother has come,' he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes omes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 "`My son,' the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
He rejects his surrounding: the rules, the work to do, the people…
The father is crying on his son's neck while the son is still in rags, before he has had time to say, "Make me as one of your hired servants." It was no longer time to say it.
The father did not even answer this…
In the son, we see man's righteousness, which is but selfishness and sin, rejects grace.
But we see in the father (a direct contrast with the Pharisees and scribes) in what manner God receives sinners.
Hebr 2:10 (KJS) For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Sinners:
See the grace & love of God- There is rejoicing in heaven for you when you repent
3 steps of repentance:
Christians
We may have slipped to the level of the second son
