REVISITING THE PARABLES OF THE LOST

-
 







There are three parables about “the lost” that are familiar to almost everyone: the story of the lost sheep that the shepherd searched for (Luke 15:3–7), the lost coin that the woman found (vv. 8–10), and the son who strayed away but eventually returned to his father (vv. 11–31). The stories of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son surely inspire many, for these parables clearly reveal God’s love for those who are lost. But there is another point in these stories that many may not notice. Not only could these parables be understood individually, but they could also be read together in order to fully grasp the message. Jesus is indeed an excellent storyteller, and we will appreciate Him more when we read all three stories as one.

The Primary Audience

Why did Jesus tell these three parables? At that time, Jesus was surrounded by tax collectors and sinners who were listening to Him. Meanwhile, the religious leaders were unhappy with how Jesus welcomed such people (Luke 15:1–2). Because of their reaction, Christ told them these stories. The primary audience of these parables were the religious leaders (while the sinners listening were the secondary audience). In other words, through these stories, Jesus was confronting them!

The Similarities

The parables follow the same pattern: something is lost, then found, and in the end, there is celebration. The themes also repeat in all three stories—God’s love and effort in seeking the lost, and the joy it brings to Him and His people over one sinner who repents (vv. 6–7, 9–10, 22–24). How do these ideas connect to the primary audience? Jesus wanted to show that the religious elites had no concern for God’s heart and were far from Him. For if they were truly close to God, they would rejoice with Him over one repentant sinner, just like the people who celebrated with the main characters in the stories. With these parables, Christ was rebuking their hateful hearts.

The Extended Story

Jesus drove His point home with the third parable, the story of the lost son—challenging them more directly. The first two stories ended with celebration, but the third one continued further. The added part of the story focused on the elder son, who was not happy when the father welcomed back his brother. It is obvious that the elder son’s reaction mirrored that of the religious leaders, who were also displeased that Christ was welcoming sinners.

The Elder Brother

In the story, when the elder brother learned of his younger brother’s return, he refused to join the celebration (vv. 28–30). In ancient times, rejecting a family feast was not a small matter—it invited public gossip and brought shame to the father right in the middle of the gathering. By refusing to enter, the elder brother dishonored his father before everyone. He did not even address him as “father” when speaking to him—an act that was deeply offensive.

In this way, the elder brother disrespected his father just as much as the younger son had when he demanded his inheritance. His complaint—that he had been serving faithfully all those years (v. 29)—revealed how he viewed their relationship: not as a son to a father, but as a servant to a master. Yet notice, when the younger son returned, the father never reduced him to a servant (vv. 22–24).

For the elder brother, possessions and rewards mattered more than what truly delighted his father: the return of his son. He even distanced himself from his sibling, calling him not “my brother” but “your son” (v. 30). In doing so, he failed to see the significance of the moment. It was not just anyone who had come home—it was his own brother, once dead but now alive again, once lost but now found. His return was indeed worth celebrating.

Yet despite this, the loving father responded the same way. Just as he went out to meet the younger son (v. 20), he also went out to plead with his elder son (v. 28). Truly, the parable shows that the father had two lost sons; one left home, while the other stayed but was equally distant in heart. The religious leaders despised the sinners who came to Jesus, without realizing they were no better themselves. The only difference was—they never left. The truth is, everyone needs Christ, and He is willing to welcome anyone who repents. And those who truly love God must share His heart—a love for the lost. Stay Curious. 

Sources and Studies:

Walton, J.H. and, Keener C. (2016). See footnotes for Luke 15:1-32. π˜•π˜π˜ 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘡𝘢𝘳𝘒𝘭 π˜‰π˜’π˜€π˜¬π˜¨π˜³π˜°π˜Άπ˜―π˜₯ 𝘚𝘡𝘢π˜₯𝘺 π˜‰π˜ͺ𝘣𝘭𝘦. Zondervan.
McCain D. and, Keener C. (2012). God’s Friends Rejoice in Luke 15:18-32. 𝘜𝘯π˜₯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘡𝘒𝘯π˜₯π˜ͺ𝘯𝘨 𝘒𝘯π˜₯ 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺π˜ͺ𝘯𝘨 𝘡𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘀𝘳π˜ͺ𝘱𝘡𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴. African Christian Books.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE LAMB OF GOD (Agnus Dei)

-
Image
  In the Bible, Jesus as the Lamb of God ( Latin , Agnus Dei ) is one of the most celebrated descriptions of Christ, for it reveals so much about Him as our Savior. π—Ÿπ—”π— π—• 𝗔𝗑𝗗 π—§π—›π—˜ π—’π—Ÿπ—— π—§π—˜π—¦π—§π—”π— π—˜π—‘π—§ In ancient times, the lamb was indispensable in Israel’s offerings. Priests offered it twice a day (Exodus 29:38–42). On the Sabbath, the number of young lambs doubled (Numbers 28:9). At the start of every month, more lambs were sacrificed (28:11). They were also offered during the entire Passover week (28:16, 19), and in other festivals (28:26–27; 29:1–2, 7–8, etc.). The lamb to be offered had to be perfect and without defect (Leviticus 22:24–25).  Since the lamb was consistently sacrificed as a victim, it came to symbolize innocence. That’s why the prophet Nathan used the parable of the ewe lamb in 2 Samuel 12:1–4 to convict David of his sin. Likewise, Isaiah portrayed the lamb as a picture of the Suffering Servant of the Lord —a prophecy pointing to the coming M...
Read more

THE HALL OF HERESIES: ADOPTIONISM

-
Image
Since then, Christ has remained the most controversial figure in history. Even when He was still on earth, people already had many different opinions about Him (Matt. 16:13–14). Just imagine—He was physically present, yet fake news about His identity was already spreading. How much more now that He has returned to heaven? Looking at history, so many misconceptions have emerged and misled many people. Today, we’re going to talk about Adoptionism—the idea that Christ was merely adopted by God and only became the Son of God. 𝗧𝗡𝗲 π—›π—Άπ˜€π˜π—Όπ—Ώπ˜† For many modern scholars, Monarchianism (from monarchia , meaning “one rule”) refers to certain beliefs from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD that emphasized that there is only one ruling God, even in light of the Trinity. One heresy that came out of this view is called Dynamic Monarchianism , which claimed that God’s power (Greek: dynamis ) was merely given to Jesus—making Him divine only because of that power. This belief was influenced by earlier...
Read more

WHAT IS THE BOOK OF LIFE?

-
Image
In Rev. 20:15 , we read a very sobering statement:  “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”  On Judgment Day, when everyone stands before God to be judged, those whose names are not in the book of life will be punished. It’s terrifying to think that your name might not be registered in that book! You can lose your spot on a government aid list—but not on the list of the book of life!  But what exactly is the book of life ? And how did people in biblical times understand it? Book of Life in the Old Testament First, we should note that during biblical times, books were actually scrolls . The codex—the book format we use today—came much later. So, technically speaking, the “book of life” is a “scroll of life.” The Old Testament already presents ideas related to the book of life. In Exodus 32:32 , when Moses pleaded for the Israelites, he said to God: “If you will not forgive their sin, then erase me from the book yo...
Read more