Saturday, June 14, 2008

O to Be Like Thee

By Samuel E. Ward

 

Part 3:  Jesus' Journey to Heaven by Way of Jerusalem

Luke 15

 

Introduction

 

Have you heard the saying "A friend in need is a friend indeed?"  A version of this proverb is known to exist as early as the 3rd century B. C. and attributed to Quintus Ennius who wrote, "A sure friend is known when in difficulty."

The greatest need requires the Greatest Friend.  That would be Jesus, for He alone can meet the deepest need man has, his need of forgiveness for sin.  Jesus accepts the responsibility for ministering to us in that need as indicated in Luke 5:31-32, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

It is the simple-mindedness of man that moves him to choose his way over God's. But when he comes to his senses and seeks the ways of God he will find as the psalmist did, "The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me (Psa 116:6 NIV).

 

XIX. Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners


A. The Pharisees Had the Right Perception but a Wrong Attitude, Luke 15:1-2

 

Luke 15:1-31 (NIV) (1) Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him.  (2) But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

 

B. Jesus Had the Right Perception and Right Attitude, Luke 15:3-10.

 

1. If a sheep becomes lost, you go after it, Luke, Luke 15:3-6a.

 

Luke 15:3-6a (NIV) (3) Then Jesus told them this parable:  (4) "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety–nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  (5) And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders  (6a) and goes home."

 

2. If a valuable coin becomes lost, you look for it, Luke 15:8.

 

Luke 15:8 (NIV) (8) "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins£ and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 

 

3. In both cases, there is cause to rejoice because that which was lost has now been found, Luke 15:6b-7, 9.

 

Luke 15:6b-7 (NIV) (6b) Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'  (7)I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety–nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.


Luke 15:9 (NIV)
(9) And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 

 

4. In the case of lost sinners, when they are found there is great rejoicing in heaven, Luke 15:10.


Luke 15:10 (NIV)
(10) In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

 

            When the church loses sight that sinners are to be sought rather than cast aside, it loses sight of a core reason for its very existence.  One does not read much about ministries of restoration and rescue for sinners conducted by the Pharisees of that time.  Indeed, they were proud in their self-righteousness they were not like the sinners.  As the body of Christ, if we are not loving sinners and seeking to  bring them to Christ, then we have more in common with the Pharisees than with Christ.  Where is the focus of our ministries?  Is it all about us?  Are we reaching out to the lost?  As a member of the body of Christ, do any of my relationships include unbelievers with the purpose of leading them to Christ?

 

XX. The Father, What a Forgiver of Sinners, Luke 15:11-31

 

A. The Lost Son, Luke 15:11-21

 

1. The self-will observed in the younger son's request, Luke 15:11-12a

 

Luke 15:11-12a (NIV) (11) Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.  (12a) The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.'

 

2. The freedom to choose seen in the Father's acquiescence, Luke 15:12b.


Luke 15:12b (NIV) (12b) So he divided his property between them.

 

3. The self-alienation observed in the younger son's departure, Luke 15:13a


Luke 15:13a (NIV)
(13a) "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country . . ."

 

4. The self-centeredness observed in the younger son's squandering, Luke 15:13b


Luke 15:13 (NIV) (13b) " . . .and there squandered his wealth . . ."

 

5. The selfish-lust observed in the younger son's wild living, Luke 15:13c-d


Luke 15:13c-d (NIV) (13c-d) "and there squandered his wealth in wild living." 

 

6. The severity of poverty observed in the younger son's state, Luke 15:14-16


Luke 15:14-16 (NIV)
(14) After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.  (15) So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

 

7. The shame observed in the younger son's coming to his senses, Luke 15:17


Luke 15:17 (NIV)
(17) "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 

 

8. The sensible realization observed in the younger son's decision to return to His Father, Luke 15:18-20


Luke 15:18-20 (NIV)
(18) I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  (19)I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'  (20) 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.

 

9. The sincere repentance observed in the younger son's confession and plea to the Father for mercy, Luke 15:21


Luke 15:21 (NIV)
(21) "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son'

 

B. The Forgiving Father, Luke 15:22-24

 

1. When the Father forgives, it is complete and minus a "guilt trip,"  Luke 15:22.


Luke 15:22 (NIV)
(22) "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. 

 

2. When a son repents, it is cause for rejoicing, Luke 15:23-24.


Luke 15:23-24 (NIV)
(23) Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.  (24) For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

 

Take note of the fact that in all three of the previous parables there is rejoicing after that which was lost has been restored.

 

C. The Resentful Son, Luke 15:25-30

 

1. The cause of the older son's resentment:  the celebration of his wayward brother's return, Luke 15:25-27.


Luke 15:25-27 (NIV)
(25) "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.  (26) So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  (27) 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

 

2. The expression of the older son's resentment, Luke 15:28-30.

 

Luke 15:28-30 (NIV) (28) "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  (29)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.  (30) But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

 

a. Revulsion toward His father's reception of his brother

b. Refusal to participate in the festivities.

c. Rejection of the father's pleas to be a part of the celebration.

d. Revelation of the true nature of his relationship with his father.

 

This celebration in honor of his brother's return brought out his true feelings:

 

·         He felt like a slave.

·         He felt unappreciated.

·         He felt insignificant.

 

D. The Forgotten Fact, Luke 15:31


Luke 15:31-32 (NIV)
(31) "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  (32) 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.'"

 

The father could have said, "You have lost nothing and have everything.  If you cannot celebrate the repentance of your brother, what can you celebrate.  You are no less self-willed, self-absorbed, and self-serving than your brother was—only you masked it.

 

If life were a game and the object of the game was "How Low Can You Go?", the younger son of this parable might well have been the all-time champion. Certainly the details of the fallen state of this son are impressive, but the greater lesson is not about the son's sin.  It is rather about the Father's love and forgiveness of the younger son (representing the sinners Jesus loved) and the heartless response to that reconciliation by the elder son (representing the Pharisees).

 

To be like Jesus . . .

 

1. We must learn to love the sinner and seek to restore him/her to God.  Let us be careful not to take on the attitude of the Pharisees that alienates rather than draws people to God.  At one time, we were all sinners and even "objects of God's wrath" according to Ephesians 2:3.

2. We must recognize, as He did, that no sinner can sink so low as to not be forgiven. 

3. We must deal graciously with the sinner as Jesus did.  When they repent, at that moment restoration is accomplished.  There is no need to humiliate the repentant with lengthy rehashing of how low they sinner had sunk.  There is, however, much cause to celebrate with heaven in their coming to the Lord.  

4. We must not begrudge the time, attention, and resources given to bringing people to Christ.  It would be so easy to invest in ourselves.

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