Topic: The lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son: who is really the lost one here?
Text: Luke 15
13 Oct 2019
Rev Renny Khoo
I have listened to this parable preached many times and there were a few occasions that the preacher would point to a different character (other than the younger son) who is actually the Prodigal. Once, I watched a drama entitled "The Prodigal Father" pointing out that it was the Father who spent so lavishly on his sons because he loves them so much. But this Sunday Sermon pointed to the Elder brother and he was the lost one while sitting at home. This sermon is worth slowing down and pondering about :
Have I acquire the elder brother syndrome ?
Have I developed "righteous anger", thinking that I have earned the rights to judge other brothers / sisters who are still in sin?
When Rev Renny shared about that "The Prodigal Son" painting by Rembrandt, it just opens a floodgate of devotional materials out there to read and ponder even more. See links below.
Introduction
According to the context in the Bible, [Luke 15:1-2], Jesus was seen eating and engaging in
fellowship and friendship with the tax collectors and the sinners. However, to the pharisees, Jesus
seemed to be out of place mixing with them. So Jesus shared these 3 parables to the pharisees.
The first parable that Jesus shared was ‘The Lost Sheep’.
Then in [v8], the word ‘… or…’ is used to introduce the next parable, ‘The Lost Coin’, and in [v11],
the word ‘then…’ in the context introduced the 3rd parable, ‘The Lost Son’. These 3 parables
collectively deal with the theme of ‘lostness’.
1. A series of 3 parables
In the 1st parable, a shepherd went searching for the one missing sheep and in the second
parable, a housewife rejoiced for having found a lost coin. In these stories, both the shepherd
and the housewife took appropriate actions. But in the 3rd parable, it is different!
i. No one searched for the son and he came back by himself.
But someone else was not happy and his father had to persuade him to come in to rejoice
with the father for the return of his younger brother.
ii. Even the sound of celebrations did not excite this elder brother and when news of the return
of his younger brother was made known, he was very angry at the treatment given to his
younger brother.
In this parable, someone else is also lost – the elder brother! No one realized it until the father
had to persuade the elder brother to come in for the celebration. Thus, many of us can identify
with parable 3, but we are saved by God’s grace and He will forgive us because it is God who will
pursue us.
2. Who is the lost one?
In Rembrandt, ‘The Prodigal Son’ illustrates both the parental welcome and standing next to the
prodigal son is the elder brother with a downcast face.
This painting was the last one done by Rembrandt just before his death, before this, he did many sketches to prepare for it, he poured in all his understandings about life, it was painting about his faith too, how he was once a younger brother and then acquired the elder brother syndrome. Without a doubt, this was one of the most significant painting from his era.
There are many paintings on "The Prodigal Son", here are some snapshots from Wikipedia
The Return of the Prodigal Son (1773) by Pompeo Batoni
Of all these paintings, the one drawn by Rembrandt got the most comments and even a dedicated Wikipedia page :-
The reflections made on Henri Nouwen on the paintings by Rembrandt also had many essays written about it.
Henry Nouwen, in his reflection, wrote
that ‘Rembrandt is as much the elder son of the parable as he is the younger…’
it is clear that the hardest conversion is really the one who stayed home.
4 other Characters were painted and they were hidden in the dark.
The elder brother is also THE LOST ONE!
Are you aware of anyone in our Church who is lost? Do you know who God is? Do you know
what God is saying to you? Do you know what must you do now? We should also examine from within ourselves, are we lost like the Elder Brother?
3. God’s attitude and our attitude towards the lost
God is still concerned for that one who is lost.
In these parables, we can have a glimpse of His
Love and Grace for the lost. He pursues and is truly concerned for everyone, i.e. those within
the family and who doesn’t know Him. This is evident of His sacrifices for us, for God so loved
the world that he gave us his only begotten son. He would welcome us with open arms.
God is
saying, you and I are precious to Him. [John10:14-15] ‘I know my own’ and ‘I lay down my life
for my sheep’
How about us? Do we care about others? Do we have a burden for our nation? We need to do
whatever it takes to find the ones who are lost. The ones who are lost can be you or the one
sitting beside you and we need to reach out to bring them back to God.
But the hardest conversion are the ones sitting next to you! Therefore, we need to open our
eyes in our families and friends to seek out the lost ones.
In the parable, the younger brother and the elder brother are both equally lost! Some of us need
to come back to the embrace of God for Him to restore us. All of us are called up to reach out
and have a burden to the lost.
Conclusion
The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be continued to be proclaimed…‘Come back to the Father, It is
our duty to share and rescue.’ And the rest of us should join in the celebration for those who are
found.
Questions:
1. Read Luke15:1-2. What bothered the Pharisees and teachers of the law about Jesus, and why?
What does this reveal about their attitude towards ’tax collectors and sinners’?
It is the Father Heart of God that none shall be perished and be lost. He would not give up on them.
2. Instead of concluding the story at v24, Jesus went on to describe the reaction of the older son in
vs 24 – 32. What additional points do you think Jesus wanted to make to the audience of the
parable, and why?
The story did not end at V 24
24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
because Jesus wished to explore the depth of "lostness" through this parable. He wanted to highlight that there was another person who was lost too and he was residing with the father all these time. It was a like a wake-up call to the Jews, the calling to God's children is not just for you but for ALL.
3. ‘The hardest conversion is the conversion of the one who stayed home’ Are you aware of anyone
in this category in our Church or in our respective families? What and how will you reach out to
those who have stayed home but are still lost?
I cannot begin to think who are lost in my circle without first examining within myself, the ways that I have been lost, the ways that I "develop righteous angers", the way I judge some Christians. I have to deal with the one who is lost while sitting at the Lord's feet, dining in my Father's House.
The hardest conversion to go through is the conversion of the one who stayed home ~ A soul-searching question to ask ourselves.
If I need to share about this lost-ness to someone else whom I think is lost himself, it is better that I do it prayerfully, unless the Lord impresses me to speak up, it is very hard to move in and share directly in this manner, for many will take offence of it.
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