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Daily – Sermon on Luke 15:1-10 for the Third Sunday after Trinity

Luke 15:1-10

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Luke 15 is a well-known chapter with three parables. Even though you only heard the first two today, you know the third one—the parable often called “The Prodigal Son.” It would probably be better if it were called “The Merciful Father” or something along those lines. The three parables belong together as one unit.

One of the common misconceptions we can have about these parables is that they only deal with conversion. But Jesus makes it clear—especially when He makes His concluding comments on these first two—that they deal with repentance, not just conversion. Of course, repentance is present in conversion, but it is also present in the daily life of a Christian. Before the confession of sins in our service, we regularly refer to 1 John 1:8-9, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Not only is John writing that to Christians, he also includes himself in that statement. “If we say we have no sin…” The Apostle John recognizes that he has sin, and if he were to say otherwise would mean that the truth is not in him.

Today, I want to consider these two parables in that light because it helps us see that each and every day of our lives, we are that one lost sheep and one lost coin. We’re going to do that based on what we believe, teach, and confess from Luther’s Small Catechism from the section on Baptism. In your bulletin, you’ll find that I’ve printed the fourth question and answer. I’ll read the question, and I’d like all of us to read the answer that is drawn from Romans 6:4 and its context.

“What does such Baptizing with water signify? It signifies that the old Adam in us, together with all sins and evil lusts, should be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance and be put to death; and that the new man should daily come forth and rise to live before God in righteousness and holiness forever.”

The Christian life is marked by daily repentance. Christian, as long as you still have breath in your lungs, you have a need to repent. The old Adam in each of us needs to be drowned daily. These parables aren’t just about unbelievers; they are about us.

This is clear from v. 1 of the text, “The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Him.” Notice why they are coming to Jesus. They aren’t just coming to be close to Jesus or have a meal with Him. They do get those things, but that isn’t the purpose of their coming to Jesus. They are coming to hear Him. What sort of things would they be hearing from Jesus?

Jesus wasn’t teaching only about love and acceptance. He was clearly showing and declaring God’s mercy. He taught that He was going to suffer, die, and rise for sinners (Lk. 9:22, 44-45; 12:50; 13:32-33; 17:25; 18:31-33). So, yes, He was teaching them the Gospel. But that wasn’t all He was teaching. Jesus was also clearly teaching the Law.

If you just look at the context of what Jesus had been teaching right before this chapter, you get a better idea of what these sinners and tax collectors were hearing from Jesus (Lk. 14:26-33). Christ was teaching, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father,” (happy Father’s Day) “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Lk. 14:26). Jesus goes on to talk about counting the cost of following Him (Lk. 14:27-32). And He concludes by saying, “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Lk. 14:33).

A lot of people today—especially in the month of June—will say, “Jesus loves you just the way you are.” There is some truth there, but it’s only a half truth, which is very dangerous. Sure, Scripture teaches that Jesus loves you just the way you are, but the full truth is that Jesus has no intention of leaving you just the way you are. That full truth is much, much better news. Jesus loves you even though you are a sinner. Sinners are enemies of God, and Jesus came to reconcile sinners to become friends and sons of God who are made holy and blameless (Ro. 5:10; Col. 1:21-22).

The Pharisees and scribes were grumbling (Lk. 15:2) because they wrongly thought that Jesus was simply welcoming sinners without calling them to turn from their sin. But that wasn’t the case, was it? No! Not when we see these parables in their context. Jesus knew exactly what kind of people were coming to hear Him. That’s why He proclaimed both the Law and the Gospel. He knew the gravity of their sins—the cheating, the waste, the lies, the pain they caused others and God.

Take that idea into these two parables—especially as they describe how the shepherd and the woman seek to find the lost sheep and the lost coin. The shepherd doesn’t wait for the sheep to feel lost or to bleat for help. It’s possible that the sheep didn’t even know it was lost. The woman doesn’t wait for the coin to ask for help from the dusty crack in the floor. The coin definitely didn’t know it was lost. Both the shepherd and the woman do whatever is necessary to find what was missing. And they both do it with joy.

Again, this seeking and finding is not a one-time event for unbelievers. This is the daily rhythm of your life as a Christian. Jesus does whatever is necessary—again and again—to find you when you go missing in the wilderness and cracks of sin. He doesn’t wait for you to feel your lostness. He doesn’t sit back and wait for you to take the first step. He takes the initiative daily, and He does it with a divine heart full of mercy.

In Ezekiel, God asks, “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” (Ezk. 18:23). In Jeremiah, God speaks about His wayward child, “As often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the Lord” (Jer. 31:20).

Theologians will use a term to talk about how God calls sinners out for their sin through the Law. They call it God’s “alien” or “strange work” (Is. 28:21) because God describes Himself as merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6-7). When God threatens, judges, and calls to repentance, He does that so He can do His “proper work” of forgiving, restoring, and delivering His mercy (1 Sam. 2:6), which is the work He delights to do. Even though His work through the Law is His “alien work,” He does it joyfully because His heart longs for you to be His own. He remembers you with mercy even though it means that He must speak against you and your sin through His Word.

That is what is happening every time you gather together here and every time you hear God’s Word. He is seeking you even while your old, sinful nature clings to you and needs daily drowning. He doesn’t wait for you to be sufficiently sorry or desperate. He comes to you in the preaching of His Word (Ro. 10:17). He seeks you out wherever you are—in whatever desolate wilderness or dusty corner your sins have led you. He picks you up, lays you on His shoulders, and rejoices to bring you home.

Dear saints, God does not expect you to become like the ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (Lk. 15:7) or like the nine coins that never get lost. Those are the ones who falsely imagine they have moved beyond the need for daily repentance. Every day, you are the one. Every day, you are the lost sheep who is carried home. You are the coin He searches for diligently. And your Savior has great joy in daily seeking and restoring you.

Here, Jesus teaches that what brings joy to heaven is not your consistency or your record of good works—even though God delights in the fruit of faith. But what moves Christ and all of heaven to rejoicing is when you receive God’s forgiveness. When you believe the Absolution. When you receive Christ’s Body and Blood that forgive you and strengthen you.

Dear saints, your Savior does not merely tolerate your daily repentance, He seeks it. He gives it (Act. 11:18, 5:31; 2 Ti. 2:25). And He rejoices in it with exceeding joy. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

Lost & Found – Sermon on Luke 15:1-10 for the Third Sunday after Trinity

Listen here.

Luke 15:1-10

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 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.

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Our text shows one scene and that is Jesus sitting with the lowlifes, the riff-raff, the notorious sinners. Not only is Jesus sitting and talking with them, He is eating with them. In the Jewish mind, eating with someone was like putting a rubber stamp with big, red letters “APPROVED” upon their behavior and life. Our text reveals this one scene, but there are two very different reactions to it.

The first reaction is from the Pharisees and scribes. So just imagine the worst of the worst – the burn-outs, the promiscuous, the hoodlums, the rioters, you name it – Jesus is right in there with them. He’s not even shy about it. The scribes and Pharisees see this, and they are triggered. They grumble and murmur. That’s the first reaction.

The second reaction is not something that we see. It isn’t part of Luke’s narration which is only the first three verses. But we know this second reaction is going on because of the parables. The reaction is in heaven. The angels look down on this same scene, and they throw a party. When heaven sees Jesus receiving lost sinners, it sees God keeping His Word and promise. Heaven looks down and sees the holy, eternal, almighty Son of God in the flesh eating with the most despicable people you could imagine, and heaven rejoices.

Now, it is easy to get mad at the scribes and Pharisees. Our tendency is to point the finger at them and say, “They shouldn’t be so hard-nosed. They think they are so good and holy and better than everyone. They should understand no one’s perfect.”

Repent. As soon as you say that, you’ve become just like them. Because when Jesus tells these parables to the scribes and Pharisees, heaven continues to rejoice because He is still doing what God always does. He is seeking after His lost sheep, and in this case the lost sheep are the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus wants to save them as well. He wants to rescue them, bind them up, bring them into the fold, and be their Shepherd. With these two parables Jesus is doing that very seeking.

Now, these parables make sense, but only to a certain point. After that, they become extremely odd. A shepherd certainly might leave 99 sheep to search for the one that is lost. The shepherd has a connection to the sheep and doesn’t want it to die. Even thinking strictly in a business sense, a 1% loss isn’t a huge deal, but it hurts. We’ve probably all looked for something longer than is reasonable. But there comes a point where you have to just cut your losses and move on. Spending all the time and effort just isn’t worth it.

Notice the language Jesus uses in the parable. The shepherd goes after the one that is lost “until he finds it.” That’s a good translation. This is an exhaustive, continual, unending search. The shepherd doesn’t go out for a while, return to make sure the other 99 are cared for, and head back out again. No. The shepherd doesn’t stop, doesn’t rest, doesn’t take a break until he finds that one lost, wandering sheep.

And when he finds the silly animal, the hard work really begins. The shepherd hefts that sheep up onto his shoulders. But he isn’t grunting and complaining, “Dumb sheep.” No! The shepherd is rejoicing while he lugs the 60-pound, wooly, hairy beast back home. Can you imagine how hot that would be around your neck? And instead of collapsing in exhaustion, putting up his feet in his recliner, and complaining to his buddies about the stupid animal, he invites the whole town over for a party that he’s going to have to do more work to prepare.

Think about that. What is it going to take to have a party? Food. What do shepherds serve for food? Sheep.

The same thing is true in the parable of the lost coin. The woman loses one coin and begins her search. To put this in perspective, imagine you had a bunch of errands to run. Your first stop is the bank to get ten $5 bills to send out in birthday cards. You head over to Target to get the cards. You make a trip the Sam’s Club, then run to Hugo’s, and finally buy stamps at the post office. When you get back home, you realize that you only have 9 $5’s. It doesn’t make any sense because you used your debit card at all the other stops. It’s not in your purse or wallet and not in your car. You must have lost that $5 somewhere in your running around. It’s frustrating, but it doesn’t make a lick of sense to drive all around town to go and find a single $5 bill. Once you’ve driven a handful of miles from your home, the IRS says that you’ve spent more in mileage than it’s worth, and someone has probably already found it and put it in their wallet. It makes a lot more sense to just get another $5 later. But not to the woman in this parable.

She lights a lamp. And, you have to understand, this is a costly endeavor. We take light for granted today. In Jesus’ day, you didn’t just light a lamp whenever the sun went down. When it gets dark, you go to bed. The phrase “burning the midnight oil” is economically costly. The olive oil used in those lamps was expensive. Every minute of light is money out the window. Why didn’t she just wait until the morning and start her search again? But she doesn’t do that. She burns that oil and sweeps the house, again, “until she finds” that one lost coin.

And, just like the shepherd, what does she do when she finds it? She throws a party. And her party, just like the shepherd’s party, is going to cost her. That party is going to cost more than the value of the coin that had been lost.

Here is the point: When God seeks after lost sinners, He is spending and sacrificing more than what the prize is worth. It cost God the Father more than you or I are worth to redeem you and me. But God spares no expense to find you lost sinners. Jesus goes to the cross and suffers in your place. He goes to death and the grave. Jesus pays the heavy price for you.

It’s easy to say, “Well, this is what God does. Should we really be surprised at this?” Yes, we should! That’s the point!

Jesus drives it home in the third parable which we didn’t read today. God goes after lost children who tell Him to drop dead, which is what the younger son basically says when he asks for his inheritance.

Today, please, please, please don’t see these parables about others. Many people online and on social media have taken the parable about the lost sheep and turned it to mean things it doesn’t mean. The parables are about you who are lost and Christ who finds you.

After both of these parables, Jesus says, “There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.” That word ‘repents’ is in a specific form. It is a present active participle, and if you aren’t a grammar nut like I, I’ll explain it. A participle sounds like a verb but doesn’t function as a verb. In English, you can put ‘ing’ after it. You could translate Jesus here as saying, “There is joy in heaven over one repenting sinner.”

The fact that this is in the present tense is important because it means that this repenting is continual. No matter how many times you wander from the 99, no matter how many times you get lost in a dusty crack in the floor, no matter how many times you say to God, “I wish you were dead,” all of heaven rejoices with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who finds you, with God who is like the persnickety woman, when your heavenly Father restores you.

With these parables, Jesus is redefining repentance. Too often, we think that repentance is the least we can do to earn God’s forgiveness. We think repentance is our trump card that we play and say to God, “Here is my repentance. You have to be good to me now because of this repentance.” That’s not how repentance works.

Instead, Jesus pictures repentance in these parables as being found. What did the sheep contribute to its being found? All it did was wander off and get lost. Same with the coin. All it did was lay in a dark crack gathering dust. But both are found and restored. And the restoration of both is cause for rejoicing.

Again, Jesus says, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who is repenting than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” You know what? There aren’t ninety-nine who need no repentance. But there is One who needs no repentance.

Remember how the multitude of angels came down the night Jesus was born and rejoiced? Do you hear what Jesus is saying when He says, “There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who is repenting than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance”? Jesus is saying that heaven rejoices more over you when Jesus finds you than if ninety-nine Jesuses came who needed no repentance. Jesus finding a lost sinner causes heaven to rejoice more than it did at the birth of Jesus because you are the fruit of Jesus’ labor.

Dear sinner, there is joy in heaven over you. You lost have been found. You have been brought to repentance, back into the fold, by your Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.