PARABLE OF THE LOST SON

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We come to the third parable of the lost. Jesus has shared the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin and now the lost son. This is by far the most popular of the three. In this story Jesus takes it to a human level-the dynamics between a father and his two sons.

Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.' So he got up and went to his father.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

This is so familiar that I'll let the story speak for itself. What I want to do is to deal with the three characters-the lost son, the son who stayed at home and the father.

FIRST-The younger son took his inheritance and squandered it all. He ended up working for someone else and found himself wallowing along with the pigs. He woke up and made the decision to go home and see if he could possibly work for his dad as servant, because he knew that being a servant for his dad was so much better than hanging out with his pig friends. When he came home, his father greeted him enthusiastically. He interrupts his son's rehearsed speech and ordered the servants to prepare for a celebration. He ordered them to bring four things-the best robe to honor him, a ring to signify his rich love for his son, sandals as a sign of a freeman as opposed to a slave and a fatted calf that had been specially fed in order to be ready for a special occasion.

SECOND-The older son who never left and squandered his wealth, but continued to stay at home and do what he was supposed to do. However, what we have here is not just one son who was in the wrong, but two.

There are two types of sinners mentioned in this story. There was the younger son who really blew it and squandered his father's wealth. And there was the older son who was more of a hypocritical son in the family. The younger son sinned against his father and admitted his wrongs. The older brother had anchored himself in Pharisaical self-righteousness. The younger obviously disregarded his father's love and yet the older also disregarded the love of his father. He didn't appreciate what he had. The younger was honest and the older is extremely hypocritical.

THIRD-The father was father not only to the prodigal son, but to the Pharisaical son. He had to face two kinds of failures in his family and did so very well.

There are, at least, 4 basic lessons in this story: 1. When there is true repentance, God exuberantly extends His love. 2. God's great love is for all sinners-no matter their stance before Him. 3. God desires sons more than servants. 4. God's love is unconditional. You can't do anything to turn His love away.

This third parable paints a good picture of God's attitude toward those who are lost. The father in this story is the God-like figure for us. All three parables on those who are lost-the sheep, the coin and the prodigal son-should set in concrete two revolutionary thoughts about God and His attitude toward you.

FIRST-God is relentlessly pursuing you with His love. He will do anything He has to do to connect with you.

SECOND-God loves you no matter what! This is nailed down by Paul's words in the letter he wrote to the followers of Jesus who live in Rome. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

PARABLE OF THE LOST COIN

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We have covered the first parable of seeking for those who are lost-the parable of the lost sheep. Today I want to work through the second of the three parables Jesus shares in response to the criticism. The second parable is the lost coin. He says:

This is a story about a woman who has 10 silver coins and misplaces one of them. This is most likely a Greek silver coin and most agree that its value is equal to a day's wages.

Who knows what a plight the loss of this coin might have caused, but it was a great loss, for sure. The search for this coin would have been a big deal. To search around the house with little light and in a room with a dirt floor was especially difficult. But when she found it, she was elated and threw a party among her friends.

These parables raise the question, "What is the focus of Jesus and therefore what is the focus of the church of Jesus to be?" It seems that there are two extremes. FIRST-focus entirely on reaching the world and ignoring those who have already been reached. And SECOND-focus on those who have already been found and ignore the lost.

Jesus seems to tweak our thinking a bit with these parables. Within the last few years I have come full circle. I have spent most of my life focusing on those who have lost their way, yet recently I have been drawn into focusing on the few who are following Jesus. In the process of being more inward in my focus rather than outward, I realize I have been missing the heart of Jesus and why He came.

The balance of these two potential extremes can be quite tricky. You can discern this balance by the comments that you hear. For instance, since we are such a consumer-oriented society, there can be a great tendency toward focusing on what meets your needs. So, if you find yourself making the following statement, "That group or fellowship just doesn't meet my needs." or, "I am just not getting the feeding the way I like it.", then you have been overtaken by the consumerism of the culture. The church or fellowship does not exist to meet your needs. Yet the churches that become mega-churches spend most of their money to do just that. But where do you see this in the teaching of Jesus?

The other extreme is to focus totally on reaching the lost. I grew up in this kind of atmosphere. It was quite an experience. In our churches the pastors spent most of their time in the work of evangelism. It was so extreme that the pastors would do everything they could do to evangelize the faithful. So, there were many mid-week services where only the leadership was in attendance and the pastor still tried to evangelize them. You see, if this is your only focus then you just keep hammering away with the same message no matter the audience. It's like the saying, "If you only have a hammer, then everything looks like a nail." The constant comment around this sort of focus is, "Are you ready?"

Each of these extreme focuses have arisen not due to the teachings of Jesus. They emerge through what I refer to as "Christian rumors" that have a life all their own. We must discipline ourselves to really FOLLOW JESUS.

Jesus' clear teaching is to focus in three ways. 1. Your relationship with Him, characterized by abiding in Him as a branch abides in a vine. 2. Your relationship with fellow believers, characterized by loving one another. 3. Your relationship with outsiders, characterized by bearing witness about the person of Jesus and His kingdom. And these three relationships are to be practiced in balance. In fact, Jesus is clear that you must practice the first two so that you will be able to bear witness of Him most effectively.

Jesus sheds a lot of light on what the faith-walk ought to look like. So, hang out with Him and be careful to do exactly what He says to do.

PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP

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We come now to Luke chapter 15 where Jesus is criticized again for hanging out with the wrong people.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

There were two types of people at the party where Jesus was attending-tax collectors and sinners. These tax collectors were Jews who were considered traitors for working for the Roman government. They had a reputation for being unfair. He collected the Roman tax and added an additional fee for himself.

The sinners were basically the non-religious. They weren't synagogue-goers for the most part and therefore considered unclean ceremonially. They were viewed as the "outsiders" or the "others". Jesus not only welcomed them; He eats with them. He went out of His way to make them feel welcome. Even more of an offense was that Jesus was content to eat with them. Fellowship around the table in Jesus' time was more than just a meal. To eat with someone was a full acceptance of them and Jesus did exactly that.

His response to this criticism was in the form of three parables-all about those who were lost. The first parable is about sheep.

NOTE Jesus' high value for the lost sheep. Remember, Jesus is the physician who is looking for those who are sick. The 99 sheep have apparently already repented or changed their direction in life toward God. Therefore, they are not in any need of being found. They are safe and secure. The sheep that is lost must be sought out by the shepherd and this sheep becomes the most valuable of all.

Here's the bottom-line on this parable. Jesus is the shepherd whose mission is to find the lost sheep of our world and bring them back into relationship with himself and with the other sheep. That's salvation. This is an illustration of the fact that Jesus' search is relentless for those who are lost. He will do anything He has to do to find those who are lost.

Then there is a curious statement at the end of the parable. Jesus says that "there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the ninety-nine." So, "Come and rejoice with me." It's time for a party!

The lost sheep is a sinner and/or a tax collector, and the ninety-nine represent the righteous. This is the answer to the Pharisees who were grumbling about Jesus' welcoming tax collectors and sinners. You are happy for all your sheep. It is when one is threatened and may be injured or killed that causes you to worry and be concerned. So, you search and search until you find it. Then you are so thrilled that you naturally want to throw a little celebration.

What was Jesus doing hanging out and eating with the tax collectors and sinners? He was searching for lost sheep. This is what the kingdom of God is all about-looking for those who are lost and bringing them home. It was Jesus' primary mission and it's still His mission today. And, since seeking those who are lost is at the heart of Jesus, it ought to be on your heart, too.

So, who are you hanging out with? Now, it's vital that you hang out with a few in the name of Jesus. However, living in the kingdom also requires that you hang out with the lost. So, who ARE you hanging out with? To be like Jesus, think about hanging out with the tax collectors and sinners in your world-those who are the lost, the non-religious. I've found this to be some of the most rewarding encounters of my life. Try it. I think you'll like it.

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING A DISCIPLE

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Here we come to a most foundational segment of the teachings of Jesus in Luke 14:25-35. His popularity was growing immensely and yet Jesus knew that many are only spectators. So, Jesus turns to the large crowds and sets forth three requirements for being a disciple. Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even life itself-such a person cannot be my disciple.

The first is the requirement of PRIORITY. Jesus uses hyperbole a lot and it communicated with great impact. Here Jesus, known for His great love, isn't saying that you are to literally hate anyone. He is using an idiom of comparison. By comparison your devotion to Jesus ought to be so stark that it makes all other relationships look like hate. Jesus must be your number one priority over all relationships, including your own life.

The second is a difficult one. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

The second is the requirement of PERSEVERANCE. This is spoken a few other times in the teachings of Jesus. Another time Luke records Jesus saying that this action must be daily. This requirement is a bottom-line self-denial. "Discipleship means deliberately choosing to follow another person's way rather than making our own way." And, following Jesus may take some interesting twists and turns along the path. I think what this is saying is "Follow Me NO MATTER WHAT" may come-disappointment, discouragement, disease, disaster-NO MATTER WHAT I will follow Jesus. That's a tough one!

Jesus offers two parables to illustrate what this second requirement means. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.'

"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. You must count the cost of following Jesus before jumping into this journey.

The third requirement is all-inclusive-POSSESSIONS. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Jesus is not saying to "give over" to someone or something else, but this is renouncing ownership of your possessions. It's giving up everything. I recently read a teacher on this: "The distinctive property of disciples is the abandonment with which they put aside all competing securities in order that they might refashion their lives and identity to the norms of the kingdom of God."

The word "possessions" is so appropriate here. It's our possessions that too easily become a security blanket for us. However your possessions cannot provide the security you need to live most fully and can compete with your decision to follow Jesus and be His disciple. Possessions means all that you have and all that you are-your very existence. Jesus wants it all-no competing forces within your heart. He wants you fully to be a channel or a vessel of blessing and healing to the world. This cannot be accomplished by writing a check from time to time. It can only be accomplished as you are totally and completely given over to Him. This doesn't mean that you are to take a vow of poverty. This is about ownership and consultation. Jesus already owns all that you are and possess. And, Jesus is the only consultant you will ever need to run your life and your business.

Jesus now turns to a discussion of salt: "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."

Salt was considered an essential of life. It was used both for flavoring and preservation. It is impossible for salt to lose its saltness, but it is possible for what appears to be salt to have all its true salt washed out of it. Then, even though the appearance remains, the essence is lost.

So, what's to be made of these words of Jesus? It seems that a disciple of Jesus can have miraculous impact upon his world, if he makes Jesus his number one priority, no matter what and renounces ownership of all he is and all he has. If you are able to follow these three requirements, then you will enjoy the dynamic of being salt in the world-a salt that is for preservation and flavoring. If you don't follow these requirements, then you will lose your saltiness and lose the possibility of being effective in your world. There is one more vital thing here. Jesus allows for no wiggle room. He doesn't say, "If you don't follow these requirements, YOU CANNOT BE MY GOOD DISCIPLE." "But you cannot be my disciple at all. It's pretty simple. You either are or you aren't a disciple of Jesus. The deciding factor remains with you. What are you going to do?

PARABLE OF A GREAT BANQUET

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After Jesus urged His Pharisee host to invite people to his table who cannot repay him, one of the guests replied to Jesus: When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed are those who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

Jesus answers this statement by sharing another parable. Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

NOTE that many were invited to the banquet. This is not to be a small group experience. Of those who were invited to the great banquet Jesus notes 3 excuses. The first one was in the real estate business. The second was in the cattle business. And the third was recently married. He lists only 3 of the excuses, but apparently there were many who rejected the invitation. It says, "But they all alike began to make excuses."

"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

Not to come to a banquet where one had previously indicated acceptance was a serious breach of social etiquette. It was an insult to the host. To make an excuse after having initially accepted was an insult. The story Jesus tells seems to indicate that several made excuses for not coming. Some believe that in this situation there was a major conspiracy to shame the host. As "they all began to make excuses" it seems to be a unanimous rejection.

Each of the excuse makers offered lame excuses. The man who was in real estate bought land without even seeing it. The cattle rancher bought oxen without ever testing them out. And, the third was just married. The host of the banquet was very angry about this rejection and ordered that the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame be invited to come to the banquet. NOTE that these are the same people Jesus listed in the paragraph before this. They were truly those who couldn't repay the host.

NOTE what the servant's response was: "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"

The original guest list was made up of the prominent people of the town. The second was to comb the entire town and pull everyone in to come to dinner. The third invitation was to invite those out in the rural areas, even the vagabonds and the strangers.

These people would have to be compelled to come, because it will push them outside their comfort levels. They were poor and they were being invited to come and join the rich man for dinner. The host did everything he could do to fill up his house for dinner. The primary meaning and application of this parable is that the host is God the Father, inviting the people of Israel to the banquet of the kingdom of God. Those who rejected the invitation were the Pharisees and other religious leaders. Those who were ultimately invited were the "unclean" and the non-religious.

There are five observations that readily appear in this story to me: 1. God offers the great feast of the kingdom to everyone. 2. The great feast is free to all who accept the invitation. 3. When the pompous, super-religious turn Him down, the banquet dinner is not cancelled, but advanced. The host (God the Father) will do everything possible to fill up His house. 4. The only thing that prevents anyone from eating this grand feast in the kingdom of God is the excuse they make. 5. Every excuse is a shell of a truth, stuffed with a lie. Each one was telling a truth, but each one was also a lie. The lie in this case is filled with the spirit of rejection. And this spirit of rejection was basically the act of living one's life separated from the gracious host who was offering this grand feast.

So, what are your excuses? What is it in your lifestyle that carries a spirit of rejection of what God may want from you? What is it in your life that keeps separating you from God? Whatever He is offering, you can count on it to be free and abundant.