Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, March 3, 2013 Read – Luke 15:1-32 The fifteenth chapter of Luke is one of the most precious chapters in the NT. It is one of Luke’s masterpieces. The setting of the chapter is the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes about Jesus’ table fellowship with outcasts and sinners. We have just read a chapter that is set in the midst of a banquet – that idea still lingers in our minds. But who belongs at the banquet? The main part of this chapter consists of three parables – all with the same theme. They are parables of the lost and of God’s inordinate desire to find what is lost. They are wonderful words of grace to those who know they are lost – they are also difficult words for those who do not think they are lost and especially for those who think there are some who are lost who are not worthy of being found. The words cut deep and Luke skillfully weaves his point. Two of the parables are found only in Luke. He shares the first parable with Matthew which, following our method of understanding, means that Luke found it in his “Q” source. That parable is the parable of the lost sheep. Incidentally, a very similar parable of a lost sheep is found in a writing that was not included in the NT – the Gospel of Thomas. You may have heard of this gospel since a copy was found some years ago. The Gospel of Thomas is mostly a gospel of the sayings of Jesus – some immediately thought it may be the lost “Q” source but upon closer examination there is very little in common between the Gospel of Thomas and the material Luke and Matthew share. But a story of a lost sheep is one of those few common elements. While Luke and Matthew share the parable of the lost sheep, each or both have made significant changes to the parable. In Matthew the sheep “strays away” and is thus responsible for being lost (Matthew 18:12-14). Luke says the sheep was simply “lost” and the implication is that we don’t know why. Matthew says, “… if he finds it…”, Luke says the shepherd searches “…until he finds it…” These are subtle differences but they are important to understanding Luke’s emphasis. The focus for Luke is on the persistence of the searcher and his understanding of what it means to be lost is far broader – as we will see when we get to the last parable. Only Luke tells the parable of the woman who loses her coin and tears the house apart to find it. Obviously a coin cannot be responsible for being lost. This parable is almost exactly like the parable of the lost sheep; however, it makes clear the cause of being lost. One of the interesting things about the first two parables is that they end with a statement of joy over a sinner who repents. Lost sheep and lost coins don’t repent – in fact the concept of repentance seems contrary to what Luke has said about the lost one. The third and final parable seems like it should end with rejoicing over a son, or sons, who repent but there is no repentance mentioned. The third parable is by far the most loved and most important of the three – but would we hear its punch if we did not first hear about the lost sheep and the lost coin? Luke seems to use the first two parables to highlight the fact of being lost! Luke wants us to recognize that the two sons are also lost – and they have a father who persistently seeks to find them without strings attached! It is unfortunate that the third parable has taken on the name of the parable of the prodigal son. To be sure he is a prodigal son – but the emphasis of this parable is not on him. Because we have heard the title, “Prodigal Son” so long we are hindered from hearing the whole parable. Actually it would be better if we titled this parable either, “The Parable of the Searching Father” or “The Parable of the Lost Sons.” Tradition has placed most of the emphasis on the first son – the younger son who demands his inheritance from his father before his father has even died and then wastes it all. Of course he is not a good example – however he is not the focus of the parable – he is really the “setup guy” for the real focus of the parable. The center of this parable is on a Father who will not give up until he has found his lost sons – remember the shepherd who searches until he finds his lost sheep and the woman who searches until she finds her lost coin. There is no giving up on the part of the searcher in these parables. The younger son is found in this story – and his being found goes far beyond his imagination. We know his story well – he foolishly wasted everything and is reduced to a pig farmer – something that would have been very repulsive to any Jew. What are we to expect for this foolish son? What we find is that his father restores him to sonship – something he certainly does not deserve and does not expect! He was lost but is found! Now comes the real point of the parable – remember Jesus told these parables in response to the Pharisees and scribes who were grumbling because Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners! There are two sons who are lost in this story. We don’t often think of the older brother as being lost but Luke certainly does. The older brother is lost because he does not know the father! Just like the father went out searching for his lost younger son and runs to greet him upon his return, the father goes out to his older son who will not rejoice over the finding of what was lost. Luke, and Jesus, skillfully leave this parable hanging in the air. Will the older brother join the party? Will he be found? Luke’s readers will need to answer that question for themselves. And Luke readers will need to decide for themselves whether or not they will rejoice over undeserving lost ones who are found – in fact whether or not they will recognize that they are lost and need finding too. Luke does not tell us how the Pharisees and scribes reacted to these three parables. Luke is more interested in how we will react. I remember when I first heard this parable for what it really is. For my whole life I had thought the parable was about the sinful younger son. I tried to see myself as that character. What I discovered is that for most of my life I have been too timid to leave town. I don’t mean to claim that I am not sinful, but I had trouble visualizing myself as the prodigal son. And then I heard the rest of the parable and I knew that I was the older brother in it. Would I join the party of God’s outlandish love for the lost? Was I lost in my diligence to be a “good person?” My understanding of God’s grace grew immensely! God is far more gracious than any of us can ever imagine. And God seeks until God finds! Luke has made his point to grumbling religious leaders. Jesus is about welcoming all people. And, more profoundly every one of us needs to be found!