Have you ever wondered about how God feels about you?
If you’re here this morning, I’ll bet you have.
And it’s a terribly important subject. Once you understand God exists, and who He is—that He’s your Creator and the sustainer of your life and will, therefore, likely have some considerable say about your future, well, the whole matter of what He’s like and how He feels about you becomes of paramount importance.
Because your life, ultimately, is in his hands.
And on top of that, our view of God and what he thinks of us will determine how we live our lives.
If we believe He is an angry God with His heart set on our destruction, we will run as far away as we can to hide from His wrath. Our we might determine to win God’s approval by trying hard to make right choices in order to please him.
If we believe God is indifferent and apathetic toward us, we might deem Him irrelevant to our lives and so decide we must find our own way apart from Him.
But if we believe God cares, and cares deeply about our lives, and is even a merciful and compassionate God who wants the best for us, well, then, we might seek His mercy and His plan for our lives.
So how can we know what God’s like, and how He feels about us.
Well, as the title of our series suggests this morning, there is no better authority than Jesus of Nazareth, by common consensus the greatest man who ever lived, who was attested by God to be the Son of God by the signs, wonder and miracles He did, and by His own resurrection from the dead.
And Jesus has good news for us this morning. In Luke 15, he assures us that the God of Creation cares deeply for us. In fact, He’s crazy about you and joyfully and compassionately forgives us when we turn to Him through Jesus. Now let that thought sink in for a moment—because it can be a life-changing thought: The true God who is in charge of everything, who created you, is crazy about you and will joyfully and compassionately forgive you when you turn to Him through Jesus.
That’s the message that Jesus has provided for us as we’ve read from His famous Parable of the Prodigal Son, which might more aptly be named, the Parable of God’s loving heart for you and for me.
Jesus had just finished sharing his exacting demands for anyone who wanted to be His disciple in Luke 14, and he finished his comments there with this exhortation: “He who has hears to hear, let him hear.
And as we’ve read in verses one and two, his invitation evokes a very surprising response. Guess who responds to his invitation. The tax collectors and the sinners! The religious and social outcasts of the Jewish community. The last people whom you would think would be interested in following such a spiritual and religious leader.
Verse one tells us that “All the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near to listen to Him.”
Who were these people. Well, the tax collectors were Jews who had betrayed their own people and their own religion by becoming agents of the Roman or Gentile occupation of Israel. From the viewpoint of other Jewish people, they were guilty of collaborating with the Roman and Gentile forces who were occupying their land and ruling over them. And they were greedily extorting taxes from their fellow Jews to support the Roman occupation of Jewish territory. In so doing, they were associating with Gentiles. Gentiles were considered unclean by the Jews, and so to associate and even work for Gentiles was dirty business. They rendered themselves unclean, or guilty by association. And so they were despised by their fellow Jews and considered to be the worst kind of sinners.
And of course the second group of people who were eager to hear Jesus were the “sinners.” The term is almost self-explanatory. But these were Jews who were not observant or religious Jews. They likely made no effort to attend synagogue on the Sabbath, to offer sacrifices or prayers at the temple or to follow the Old Testament Law. They were expressly known for their unrighteous life-styles. Some of them had unsavory occupations—some were likely even prostitutes.
And guess who wasn’t impressed. The religious people of all people. Especially the most religious people, the spiritual leaders among the Jews. The Pharisees were the strictest sect of Judaism. They weren’t happy just to follow the Old Testament Law to a T, but they added a bunch of human teachings, call tradition, and made them mandatory. And the scribes were those who made a living by being experts in the law—they were the lawyers of that day, but the Law which they practiced was the Old Testament Law of God. And so these two most highly respected groups of spiritual leaders had a problem with Jesus. They see Jesus gladly welcoming these tax-gatherers and sinners. And they begin to murmur among themselves—there is this critical undercurrent going on and the heart of it was the statement found in verse two; “This man receives (welcomes really) sinners and eats with them.” Oh, the shame of this. As it is expressed elsewhere, if Jesus were really a prophet and a holy man, he would know these men and women are sinners and he would have nothing to do with them. Because he could be defiled—he could get the “Jewish cooties” by doing so. These Jewish religious leaders in their haughty self-righteousness, could not accept that Jesus was welcoming and associating with such great sinners.
So we’re told by Luke that Jesus told them this parable—and actually he tells them three parables in the next few verses to explain why he was associating with these terrible sinners.
First, he tells the Parable of the 100 sheep. It’s an agrarian economy. He’s in a country that is full of sheep and shepherds. And He asks them a simply question in verse 4: “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it.”
Now the way He poses the question is important. He’s indicating that every single person he’s talking to knows exactly what He is talking about and would respond to a single lost sheep in the same way. In other words, that there wouldn’t be a single self-respecting man among them, if he were a shepherd, who wouldn’t leave his 99 sheep and go in search of a single lost sheep. And not only that, that he would leave the 99 sheep in the open pasture, where they themselves would be somewhat vulnerable, in order to find that single straying sheep. And he’s also indicating what kind of commitment that every single man he was talking to would have to finding that single lost sheep: He would go after that single sheep “until he finds it.” He would be absolutely committed to finding it, and he wouldn’t give up until he found it, no matter what!
Now it’s not hard to understand why if you know anything about sheep. They are absolutely helpless and defenseless on their own. You can never count on them to find their way back home like you could with a dog or a cat. They absolutely don’t know how to take care of themselves. And if a predator finds them first, they are absolutely defenseless—they’re meet on the hoof, or to borrow the language of a hunger—they’re sitting ducks. If the shepherd doesn’t find that sheep, he’s as good as dead.
And the second thing to know is the shepherd’s attitude toward his sheep. If he’s a good shepherd, he cares about them. He cares a great deal about them. And so when He finds the straying sheep, what does he do? Does he cuss the sheep out? Does he beat the sheep up? No, he tenderly takes the sheep and puts it’s hooves around his neck, laying it on his shoulders, and gives it a ride home. He doesn’t even make the sheep retrace his steps—he gives it a power assist to make sure it ends up in the right place. And then when he gets home, he calls all his friends and neighbors that he’s found the lost sheep and invites them to rejoice with him, to celebrate or party with him about the great news. He celebrates more over finding that one sheep than he does the 99 sheep that were never lost.
And then Jesus draws this striking parallel in verse 7: “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents tan over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance”
Wow, what a thought, God is saying the person who is here this morning that he is most concerned about are not those whom he’s found, but the one who is still straying.
And just to make the point salient for everyone listening, women as well as men, he adds the parable of the Ten Coins. Each coin, called a drachma in the original, was worth a day’s wage, about the value of a single sheep. Maybe $100 or $150 by today’s standards. And when one coin is misplaced what does she do.
Now, it’s important to understand that back in the first century, houses had no electricity, and there were no flashlights. There were hardly any windows—they were very dark. And so she lights a lamp, perhaps a candle, and begins to sweep very carefully throughout that whole house—and again notice the commitment—until she finds it. Finding that lost coin is her entire priority until it’s found. And when she’s found it, she calls all her neighbors and tells them the good news and the lesson is again the same. Verse 10: “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Do you identify? Do you understand why Jesus is a friend to tax-gatherers and sinners—maybe even drug-pushers, pimps, prostitutes, murderers and molesters. Because he values them, He wants what’s lost found, what’s at risk, saved. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
And what conclusion can we draw this morning. If you’re here this morning, and you’re not sure you’re right with God, God is more concerned about than anyone else who is here. He is all about seeking and finding those among us who have strayed. The truth is that all of us, at one time or another have strayed. As Isaiah 53:6 puts it. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” And for those of us who have not been found, God is most concerned about you, this morning.
And then we have incredible Parable of God’s loving.
As Jesus has said beginning in verse 11, A certain man had two sons. And as the younger son becomes an adult, he requests his inheritance before the time. In Jewish household, it was not typical for the inheritance to be divided among the sons until the father’s death. So, this is a big request, very inconvenient, and it may have involved the liquidation of some of the father’s assets to make it possible. But the father complies. And once the younger son has his inheritance, not many days pass before he gathers everything together, and apparently without a second thought for his father’s care or provision, takes off on his own to a distant country. The idea is, apparently, to get as far away from his father as is possible, where he will be free to live as he pleases without any accountability for his actions. And once in this distant country, that’s exactly what he did. He irresponsibly squandered all he had in loose or dissolute living, with a devil-may-care, I’m going to have the time of my life while I can, life-style.
Well, guess what, just as he has wasted all his money, a severe famine comes upon the land. In other words, there’s a great recession, maybe even a depression. No one has any money, least of all him. And so he goes out and tries to find any job he can, and the only job he can find is caring for pigs. He’s a Jew who has been reduced to the most ignoble of all occupations—caring for swine in a Gentile’s barnyard. And if that weren’t bad enough, he’s starving. He finds himself longing to eat the pods that he’s feeding to the pigs! He has reached rock bottom. He has come to the end of himself. He’s starving to death while feeding pigs—how much worse can things get. And it’s then, and only then that he comes to his senses. He realizes that even his father’s hired hands have more than enough to eat, and that his only prospect for a livable life is to return to his father, admitting his sin has been against God and against his father, and to ask if his father might only begin to allow him to be as one of his hired hands.
So he’s carefully planned out his speech and begins to make his way home, not sure his father, having suffered due to his son’s ingratitude and selfishness, will have anything to do with Him, but hoping that he might just possibly throw him a bone. And while he’s still a long way off, guess what, his father sees him. And you know why that is? It’s because the father’s eyes were always wandering off to that distant point on the horizon where he had last seen his son’s form disappear, hoping beyond hope that he might possibly see him again. And sure enough, the moment his son appeared, this old man was on the run, not away from his son, but running for his son. Didn’t matter how many aches and pains he had, didn’t matter how undignified he looked. His Son, who was lost, was coming home!
And as his father approaches, the prodigal starts his speech, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But his father will hear nothing of it. He has leapt on his son’s neck and he’s kissing him profusely. And he calls his servants to himself and tells them, quick, bring the best robe and clothe him with it. Bring my signet ring—and give him authority over my estate. Put some good shoes on him. And go and get the fatted calf and prepare it. Preparing the fatted calf was the ultimate sign of honor in ancient mid-eastern hospitality. “For this son of mine was dead, and he has come to live again. He was lost and He has been found.
This is God’s loving heart for you. The Lord longs to be gracious to you. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in, trusts in depends on him, should not perish but have everlasting life.
Turn to God from your sin and he’ll joyfully forgive and bless you as though you’d done nothing wrong.
And so the party began. And there’s music and there’s dancing, and a great celebration. But the older son is coming in from the field, not knowing what has happened. He hears the sound of a party, and he calls some of his father’s servants to himself to find out what’s going on. The servants tell him, and he is immediately incensed. He refused to go into the party. So his father comes out and pleads with him.
What’s his problem? And in verse 29 he tells us, “You’ve never killed the fatted calf for me, so the I could celebrate with my friends., but when this son of yours came, who devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed he fatted calf for him.” He’s bling to his own bitterness, his self-centered, his self-righteousness and his callous lack of concern for his brother’s welfare. All that matters to him is him.
And what does his father do. He continues to be gracious even to him in his outrage, pleasing with him to join the party because this son of his was dead, but he’s come to life again, this son of his was lost, but now is found.
And the story ends without resolution. The older self-righteous son is still angry, the father still graciously pleading for him to understand, and to join the party.
And it’s a fitting end to a parable in which the self-righteous and self-centered Pharisees and scribes must still decide for themselves if the will respond to the mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, or hold out, clinging to their own self-righteousness, insisting they don’t need mercy because they’re blind to their own self-serving prideful sin.
And you see that’s often still the story today. The folks who’ve sold out to sin and hit rock bottom know they need a Savior, so they respond to God’s offer of mercy through Jesus Christ. But so often it’s the religious folks, the self-righteous religious folks who gather their robes around them and stick up at their noses at the sinners who don’t respond because in their own estimation good enough for God on their own. They don’t need God’s mercy.
And so the question for you is where are you in this picture, this morning. Convinced you’re a sinner, having come to an end of yourself, and ready to accept Jesus’ death as a payment for your sin and the forgiveness he offers. Or are you still clinging to the idea that you somehow, are good enough for God on your own, and you don’t need His love, grace and mercy.
Many folks I talk to about Jesus, when I ask them how they’re going to get to heaven tell me that they’re really pretty good people, they’ve never really done anything very bad in their lives. A well-known minister by the name of Ray Comfort approaches people with these kinds of attitudes by taking them to the 10 Commandments and asking them how they’re doing. Have you ever lied? Invariably there’s a confession they have and often repeatedly. Have you ever stolen. Yep, they have. And then he’ll recite Christ’s statement that whoever lusts after another person is in his heart has committed adultery. And he asks them, if they’ve ever lusted after another person. And by this time, he’s got them. They admit it. The Bible statement is true, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Always what it takes is humbling yourself like a child, and simply accepting the free gift of God—the forgiveness that comes through a repentant faith in the forgiveness that comes through Christ’s death for your sins and His resurrection. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Yes, all we, like sheep, have gone astray, we have turned to our own way, but the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
On a cold night in England many years ago, a group of children slipped into a church to get warm. The preacher was speaking on Luke 15:2, which in the King James Version reads, “this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.”
Afterwards, one of the children, a girl of 8, went up to the pastor and said, “Pardon me, sir, but I
didn’t know that my name was in the Bible.” He asked, “What is your name?” “Edith, sir.” “No,” he said, “Edith is not in the Bible.” “Yes, it is,” she replied. “I heard you say, ‘This man receiveth sinners, and Edith with them.’”
This little girl may have been wrong about one thing, her name being in the Bible. But she was right about the main thing—that Jesus receives sinners, whatever their name, just like her.
Won’t you come to the Lord for his mercy this morning? Because He’s crazy about you, he will joyfully forgive and bless you when you turn fully to Him through Jesus.
Let’s pray. Pray this prayer with me: “Father, I admit, despite all my efforts, I’m a sinner just like everyone else. Thank you that Jesus loves and gave His life for me anyway. I’m now turning to Him from my sin. I thank you for your mercy shown to me when Jesus died for me. Thank you for forgiving my sins. Now help me to follow you and become the kind of person you want me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
