To understand the context of these parables, it's good for us to hear the murmuring of the religious leaders. When they would look at the crowd that gathered around Jesus, they would grumble among themselves “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” I don't know if there was anything more offensive to their religious way of thinking. Jesus being able to discern what was going on decided it would be a wonderful time to put the Father's heart on display.
The parable of the lost sheep - a Shepherd is willing to leave the 99 to look for the 1
The parable of the lost coin - a woman will stop everything to look for 1 lost coin even though she still had 9 in her possession
The parable of the lost son - a Father isn't content to have just 1 of his 2 sons home with him. His heart is always ready to receive the one that was lost
Those that the Pharisees regarded as "sinners" and therefore out of the realm of God's love, Jesus regards as those who should be in the fold, a part of the possession, and in the family. In each of the parables, neither item that was mentioned lost their value. The sheep was still a sheep (it didn't become a goat). A coin was still a coin (it didn't drop in value). The son was till a son (even if he couldn't see himself coming back as a son). All of these things were valuable & valued, just as every human being in this world is valuable & valued in the heart of God.
These parables also tell us that none of us are outside of the love of God. His heart is for them. The reason Jesus received "sinners" and ate with them was because they also had a place at the table. These were lost sheep that the Pharisees didn't go looking for. They were lost coins that the Pharisees didn't have the time of day to find. They were lost sons that the Pharisees were not willing to open their hearts toward. Aren't you glad that our Heavenly Father doesn't operate this way? Isn't good to know that Jesus is a Good Shepherd that looks for the lost sheep? Isn't it good to know that nine coins isn't good enough for God but that if there was just one lost He would go looking? Isn't it good to know that the Father is always looking out into the horizon for His child to find his way back into His embrace? This is the heart of God. Unfortunately, it wasn't the heart of the religious leaders of Jesus' day.
I've often wondered why religion has this way of creating outsiders? We still struggle with this mindset today in the church. We are quick to judge the lost, condemn the lost, and even reject the lost. However, if our heart was moved with the same compassion of Jesus then we would look for them, find them, and rejoice over the fact that they are now home.
One of the things that moved me about my time with the PBC Family this Sunday is that we had a man in our congregation (probably in his 50's) who came to me after the service to tell me that after all these years he finally gave his heart to the Lord. I was blown away. In fact, over the past month I have seen grown men (30, 40, & 50 years of age) confess Jesus as Lord of their lives. This is almost unheard of statistically in the churches across America. The only Person that gets credit for the change in their life is Jesus. The only message that gets credit for opening their hearts is the Gospel. The Good News that Jesus came looking, to seek and save that which was lost, and that God valued the human race - considering us as valuable. He placed so much value on us that He gave Jesus to bring us out of the darkness.
When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus He said, "I did not come into the world to condemn the world but that the world through me might be saved." Those are powerful words. More importantly, it allow us to peer into the Father heart of God. Sending Jesus wasn't about condemnation but salvation. The Gospel is not about alienation but has always been about adoption. May our hearts overflow with this understanding and may we rejoice with the angels of heaven over every person who has found their way back into the arms of our loving Father.
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