Seven Gems From Luke 15 (You May Have Overlooked)

The Lost Sheep. The Lost Coin & The Prodigal

Gem #1 : The Binary Divide

In a world filled with complexities and endless shades of grey, Luke 15 presents a refreshing binary perspective, reminding us that life often boils down to two clear options: the saved & the lost, the saints and the “ain’ts”, the believers and the doubters.

Verse 1 introduces us to two distinct groups the Publicans and the Pharisees. While outwardly, the publicans were the deplorable sinners, and the Pharisees stood as the Uber-Religious Elite, this verse unveils the truth that the sinners were the ones drawn to Jesus, They approached with humility, devoid of boasts, with a genuine desire to hear the words of our Lord. In contrast, the religious Pharisees came murmuring in skepticism. It is not the external appearance, but the heart that defines us.

Question : Are you a hearer or a murmurer? Do you go to Him to hear His Word or to murmur and complain?

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. - Ecclesiastes 5:2

Gem #2 : The Trinity

Verse 3 : “Then Jesus told them this parable” (not parables) - Luke 15 contains three distinct illustrations - the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son all interwoven into one parable of loss and redemption. While we often hear them separately, they should be viewed as a unified whole (a trinity, if you will).

In the “Lost Sheep,” we witness the Good Shepherd that “seeks and saves” the lost. In the “Lost Coin’ the woman who refused to give up and searches the house with relentless determination till she finds her coin - much like the Holy Spirt, who has been working tirelessly for the last two millennia convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. Lastly the “Lost / Prodigal Son” depicts the Father who “so-loved” the lost son.

Can’t you see the trinity within the parable? The triune God and His selfless, tireless, loving pursuit of us in Luke 15?

Gem #3 : You Are Not A Statistic.

The Shepherd lost 1%, the woman lost 10% of her coins, and the father 50%. The shepherd did not congratulate himself for safeguarding the 99%. The woman wasn’t content with retaining 90% of her coins..

When the lost was found, all three were equally elated The shepherd who found one sheep did not rejoice any less than the woman or the father. There is joy in heaven when “one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7). God is not going to leave you nor forsake you, even if you’re a solitary black-sheep.

And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day - John 6:39

Gem #4 : The Real Hero

Though we commonly refer to it as the Parable of the Lost Sheep, it should be the Parable of the Good Shepherd. The true hero is the Shepherd. Similarly the hero isn’t the lost coin, but the woman who diligently seeks it, and the hero is not the prodigal son, it’s the ever-loving father.

Sheep are often considered dumb creatures, yet not to the Shepherd. A mere silver coin, though not gold or platinum, was remarkably precious to the woman - made evident by her thorough search and her jubilation upon finding it. The older brother had nothing positive to say about the younger brother, yet it didn’t make a dent in the Father’s love for the son. While the world might perceive us as worthless, it is not so in God’s eyes. He sees us as of high value. He takes a worthless hell-bound sinner and transforms him into His child and a saint bound for heaven.

Gem #5 : You Cannot Save Yourself

What did the sheep do to be saved? Nothing. It lacked the capacity to find the shepherd. What did the coin do to be saved? Nothing. The coin remained lost, until the woman found it. What did the Prodigal do to earn his father’s acceptance? Nothing. The father did not demand the money back, he did not lay any conditions either (like taking a bath or wearing a clean robe to earn the father’s hug / acceptance). The prodigal came ‘just as he was’ but with a repentant heart and that was enough.

It was the Shepherd that saved the lost sheep. It was the woman that found the lost coin and it was the father that accepted an underserving prodigal wholeheartedly.

Gem #6 : God Is Love

Luke 15 reveals the shepherd’s loved for the sheep. He did not scold or beat the sheep for getting lost. He carried the sheep back to the fold. Similarly the woman restored the lost coin to its former glory - it did not lose value in her eyes. The prodigal got a hug and a new robe and a ring and restored to his former glory, though he deserved a good thrashing. That’s agape love, a concept that we cannot fully comprehend.

Gem #7 : The Real Lost Son Isn’t the Prodigal

The real lost-son isn’t the “prodigal” but the one who remained and served the father with the mindset of a servant. The son who murmured, grumbled, complained and harbored resentment toward his Father.

The self-religious work hard, meticulously adhering to all rules, demanding that the father reward them and punish the under performers. That’s religion. The older brother is it’s mascot. “Religion” revolves around our good works, our performance, effort and striving to please God.

However, this is not the Gospel. John 3:16 leaves no room for works. it does not say “who so ever believes and does good works” Romans 10:9 does not add a clause for good works It does not say “who ever confesses with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead (and does good works) shall be saved”. Ephesians 2:8-9 does not say you are saved by grace through faith and good works.

Salvation is NOT achieved through our merit or our good behavior.  It was accomplished-in-full by our Lord on Calvary and is offered as a gift for those that believe in Him

Bonus Gem: Don’t Be A Sourpuss.

The proverb holds true “Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.” The shepherd and his friends rejoiced. The woman and her companions rejoiced. Joy filledthe father’s house. The only dampner was the older brother - who harbored resentment toward the father and hated his own younger brother. Don’t imitate him and become a wet-blanket.

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