Ep. 17 | LUKE 15 | Hope for All Who Feel Lost

Jesus hangs out with sinner and tax collectors, those unfavorable folks who society labels as unrighteous, unwanted. The Pharisees might have thought, "Why would a potential prophet (Jesus), a man of God, eat a meal with such rebellious, unclean people?"

Jesus responds to the Pharisees with a series of parables (stories that reveal truth) recorded by Luke: The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.

By listening to the series of short stories, we can hear God's heart: people are more valuable than sheep and coins— more valuable than possessions and money—and yet you (oh Pharisees) rejoice when you find something you lost. How much more a son? A person?

In this week's podcast we remember there is hope for all those who feel lost.

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Transcript

You can now support the Well Soul Podcast by visiting Buymeacoffee.com/wellSoulpodcast. For the cost of a cup of coffee, you could be part of me helping others connect with God through Scripture, reflection and prayer. Visit buymeacoffee.com/wellSoulpodcast or click the link at the top of the show notes.

Welcome to the Well Soul Podcast, where we pause to drink in Scripture, reflect and pray. I am your host, Seana Scott, and sometimes life leaves our souls feeling parched, so come to the Well of Living Water that never runs dry.

Welcome to Luke 15 in our Certainty of Faith series through the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 15, we read a parable stories that teach truth. Jesus is responding to the Pharisees complain that Jesus hangs out with sinners. Today we are going to listen to the whole chapter of Luke 15, because I want us to see that all the parables illustrate one main point hat Jesus is making.

This chapter is perfect for leading up to Christmas Eve because God came as a humble baby to hang out with sinners—sinners like you and me—so that we might know God and be saved from our sin. Jesus is Emmanuel, God With Us, and I think we will see that, in the parables Jesus teaches us today through the writer Luke.

Before I read, take a moment to breathe and invite the Spirit of God to speak to your heart through today's passage.

Come Holy Spirit, come, speak to us through your Word

Luke 15:1–10.


The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he 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 6 and goes home. 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.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Listen to the Holy Spirit for a moment. What is this scripture bringing to?

Next in Luke. We will read the Parable of the Lost Son. We have the father and two sons. One seems to do all that is right, and one is obviously rebellious, but both of them have self-serving motives, desires that hurt their relationship with their father. As you listen to the passage, think about which brother you most relate to.

The parable of the lost son.
Beginning in Luke 15, verse 11.

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “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. 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. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “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! 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 servants.’ 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.

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.’

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. 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.

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.’

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!’

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.’”

Continue to listen. Spirit and what resonates with you about this passage?

Jesus talked about the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son. Surely the Pharisees could rejoice over those items, the lost sheep and the lost coin, because those were lifestyle items, financial items—but then when Jesus slips in the story of the Lost Son, he is showing how much more important a person is from a sheep or even a coin.

Who in your life is still lost? Have you been praying for them or judging them? How might the Holy Spirit lead you to love them? We'll take a moment to pause to reflect. And to pray.

Let's pray.
 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are the one and only true God, we worship you. We pray right now that you will reveal in our hearts any way we sin against you, whether by outright disobedience, or whether by prideful righteousness that looks shiny on the outside, but our hearts are just puffed up with ourselves.

We want to be right with you in God. Whether our sin is outright rebellion like this son that went to the far away country or prideful, resolute self-righteousness like the older brother, we know we are. Please convict us, reveal to us our sin so that we can confess and repent and be closer in relationship with you.

Thank you for coming in, Jesus Christ, to pave the way for the forgiveness of sins. Amen.

Thank you for joining me on the Well Soul Podcast. Today I invite you to support the production of this podcast by buying me a cup of coffee. Log in to buy me a coffee.com/well Soul podcast to make it possible for others to drink in Scripture, reflect, and pray. Please also review the podcast on Apple so more people can find the Well Soul Podcast.

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There is so much more to the story in this chapter. So if you would like to drink in the scriptures more slowly than the podcast allows, I encourage you to look at the resources linked in the show notes. I would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Sandra Blonde for her latte with Luke Bible Study and Brian Vasquez Productions who has made this podcast possible.

This episode is sponsored by socialremix.co at a socialremix.co, a social media generating website that saves you hours of content creation with just a click of a button. For more information, see the link in the show notes. 

God bless you and I pray this Christmas season that you will have a wow soul.