Luke 15:1-10 Parable of the Lost Sheep
Story: A young man - who had been raised as an atheist – was training to be an Olympic diver.
The only religious influence that had ever come into his life was that of an outspoken Christian friend.
The young diver never really paid much attention to what his friend said about Jesus.
One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended.
The lights were all off.
But as the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practice by.
The young man climbed up to the highest diving board.
As he turned his back to the pool, standing on the edge of the board - he extended his arms out to dive
However, he stopped as he saw a shadow on the wall.
It was the shadow of his body in the shape of a cross.
It was as if God was reaching out to him.
And so instead of diving, he knelt down and asked Jesus to come into his life.
As the young man stood up from giving his life to Christ, a maintenance man walked in and turned the lights on.
The pool had been drained for repairs!!!.
(The Shadow of the Cross. From the Internet. Author Unknown.)
Both parables in our Gospel reading today –
The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Lk 15:1-7) & The Parable of the Lost Coin (Lk 15:8-10)
remind us that Jesus is actively looking for those who are lost.
It is never too late and Jesus gives up on no one.
I don’t know if it struck you – but it did me – the expression in both parables: “There will be more joy in heaven” or words to that effect
It is a bit strange isn’t it – that God seems more interested in those who turn to him than those who “do not need to repent”.
But is it strange?
Let’s look at the stories in context
The Pharisees thought that through their own righteousness they could please God.
Yet Isaiah puts his finger on the matter when he says:
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; (Is 64:6)
In other words, in God’s sight, no one is righteous enough!!
So what Jesus is saying is – don’t delude yourselves – you all need to repent!
Story: In the 18th Century, Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntington invited the Duchess of Buckingham to come and hear George Whitfield preach.
After listening to Whitfield, the Duchess wrote to the Countess of Huntington about the Gospel that Whitefield and his fellow “Methodists” preached in the following terms:
“ It is monstrous to be told that you have a heart as sinful as the common wretches that crawl on the earth.
This is highly offensive and insulting; and I cannot but wonder that your Ladyship should relish any sentiments so much at variance with high rank and good breeding.”
(George Whitefield and the Great Awakening – John Pollock p.95).
The letter tells us a lot about her and her attitude to herself.
Even one of her easygoing contemporaries described her as obnoxious. Her pride sadly closed her ears to the Gospel.
For it is ONLY when we realise that we are “as sinful as those common wretches” that we can be open to the Gospel.
Luke 15 actually covers three parables,
The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Lk 15:1-7)
The Parable of the Lost Coin (Lk 15:8-10)and
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-31)
And the obvious theme running through all three parables is that “there is joy in heaven on one sinner who repents”
Jesus picked ordinary everyday imagery to communicate to people with .
The lost sheep and the shepherd
The lost coin and the housewife
The lost son and the Father.
These would have been everyday images to Jesus’ listeners - people, living a poor farming community, would have easily understood
And yet there is a more profound level to Jesus’ parables too.
The use for example of the concept of the Shepherd would have triggered many different thoughts to Jesus’ audience.
1. One thought that the Parable of the Lost Sheep might have triggered might be of the reputation of the Shepherds
Shepherds in those days were very much lower class and looked down upon by the Pharisees.
They had this “unfortunate habit of confusing “thine “ and “mine” as they moved about the country (The Message of Luke – Michael Willcock p. 150).
Things went missing when shepherds hit town.
And in addition they didn’t keep the ceremonial law – that was so sacred to the devout Jew.
2 Another thought that the Parable of the Lost Sheep might have triggered is that God describes Himself as a Shepherd
Jesus’ allegory would not have been missed, as the Jews were steeped in Old Testament Scripture
They would have recognised immediately that God is the shepherd.
Indeed we see similarities in the book of Ezekiel to Jesus parable of “the Lost Sheep”
Ez 34: 11 and 12 say this:
For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As Shepherds look after their scattered flock when they are with them, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness (Ez 34:11-12)
3. A further thought that the Parable of the Lost Sheep might have triggered might have been that God is our protection
And of course the 23rd Psalm, where God is described as the protector and provider for us all:
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,]
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
And, of course Jesus himself went on later to describe himself as the Good Shepherd.
In Jn 10:11 he said
11 "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
4. Our thoughts today
Many of us here today have our own story to tell – of how we have came to Christ.
Some us were brought up in a Christian family – as my wife Maddy was.
Others came from non-Christian backgrounds and met Christ as teenagers – and have gone on as Christians ever since - as I did. (turn the page)
Story: A good friend of mine Matt used to be a Christian and fell away.
He fell in with the wrong crowd and turned to armed robbery.
Let me just say - he committed many offences.
One day he said to the Lord: Jesus, if I am not shot by the armed response unit on a job, I’ll bend the knee to you.”
One day Matt was stopped in his car – without his gun - for a motoring offence.
Once they realised who he was he was taken into custody – without a shoot out with the police armed response unit.
Matt kept his promise and gave his life to Jesus in Wolds Prison, which is where Maddy and I met him.
(I hasten to add we were part of the Anglican Chaplaincy Team in the prison!!)
And now Matt is training a curate in Beverley!!
Our Gospel reading is all about the Maddys, the Martins and the Matts of this world – Jesus doesn’t give up on any one.
Each one of us should have our own story of meeting Jesus.
What is yours?
The parable of the Lost Sheep is a story of hope for us all.
God doesn’t give up on people – every one of his sheep counts!
There may be people here this morning who are sad because of family members who have slipped away from the faith of their youth.
Be encouraged – Jesus cares for each one of them.
He is the Good Shepherd who goes out to look for them and rejoices when he can bring them back to the faith.
As Jesus says:…” there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety nine just persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7)
You yourself may feel that you have slipped away from the faith. It is never too late to turn back and allow the Good Shepherd to find you.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have chosen us – and not that we have chosen you.
We thank you that you pursue us like a Shepherd pursues a lost sheep.
We come to you this morning, wanting to go from here with a fresh resolve to walk with you today.
We repent of those things that we do that separate us from you and we ask to renew our relationship with you today
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
