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The Gospel of Luke Chapter Fifteen
Commentary by Timothy H. Burdick
Jesus was and is a friend of the
poor and outcasts of this world. Verse 1 says, “Now the tax
collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear
Him.” At that time, the tax collectors of that land were
identified by just about everyone as “sinners.” They were
seen by the Jewish people both as quislings and traitors
because they collected taxes for Rome. Zacchaeus, one of the
men who Jesus later called to Himself was a tax collector.
Luke 19:2 tells us, “A man was there by the name of
Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.”
Tax collectors were usually rich because they were thieves,
taking as much money as they could get from the people they
taxed, using whatever means that were necessary to get
money. Luke 15:2 says, “The Pharisees and the teachers of
the law muttered, ‘this man welcomes sinners and eats with
them.’” Notice that there are four groups of people
mentioned in the first two verses of Luke 15. 1) tax
collectors, 2) sinners, 3) Pharisees, and 4) teachers of the
law While we have already looked briefly at the first two
groups, the second two are highlighted by the words of Jesus
in this Chapter.
Known for their strict observance of
the Law as it related to outward ritual, these religious
leaders thought that they were better than the masses. They
should have been happy that Jesus welcomed everyone who came
to Him, but instead they were members of a kind of religious
“club,” looking down their noses at those who they perceived
to be outsiders.
In the church, do we ever do the
same thing? As individuals, do we drive away those who would
come to the Lord, by our self-righteous attitudes and
actions? Or, do we welcome those in need of our Lord,
knowing that we cannot point any fingers because we are
sinners, too.
In Luke 15:3-7, Jesus tells the
first of three stories that will reveal His listeners to
themselves. Here first is the parable of the lost sheep:
“Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘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? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it
on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends
and neighbors together and says, ‘rejoice with me; I have
found my lost sheep.’ “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 don't need to
repent.’”
Have you ever thought about what it
meant to God when He saved you, or you could say “found” you
out of the lost of this world? The bible teaches that we are
given the choice of whether or not to come to Christ.
However, it also teaches that His Spirit brings us to
Himself. Please read these two Scriptures to see what I
mean. Revelation 22:17 speaks of this choice: “The Spirit
and the bride say ‘Come!’ and let him who hears say ‘Come!’
Whoever is thirsty let him come; and whoever wishes, let him
take the free gift of the water of life.” Second, look with
me at Proverbs 21:1, this Scripture, gives us an idea of how
the Lord directs us by His Spirit - “The king’s heart is in
the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse where
ever He pleases.”
In Luke 15:8-10, Jesus expounds on
what He has already said. Note that in scripture, Jesus
often uses a group of stories called “parables” to drive a
point home. He goes on in verses 8-10, “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? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and
neighbors together and says, ‘rejoice with me; I have found
my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is
rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one
sinner who repents.” In Bible times, those silver coins
would have been worth about a day’s wages. Imagine that you
lost three days worth of your pay. How would you feel? I
believe that God has the same kind of feelings as He
searches for lost men and women. 2nd Peter 3:9 says, “The
Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand
slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting any one to
perish, but EVERY ONE to come to repentance.”
In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus told the
famous story of the “Prodigal Son.” While this parable is
talking about salvation of course, note that we ALL are
prodigals who have strayed from God’s love. Through trusting
in Him, we find ourselves in the Father’s home, under His
protection, surrounded by many blessings.
Most of us have a tendency to look
for what we think are greener pastures at one time or
another. Or maybe you are like the older brother. You have
done what you were supposed to, outwardly anyway, but
inwardly you are envious and hold grudges against others.
When we feel like this, we need to go to God. The Bible says
in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.”
Like the father in the story of the
Prodigal Son, God the Father has all of His blessings held
out with an open hand to you. But in order to experience all
of His riches, you need to confess any bitterness that you
hold inside. He longs to forgive and deliver us from all
sin. While reading this story, take note of the personal
pronouns recorded within it. Do these words describe your
outlook on life? What are your first thoughts when you feel
that you have been treated unfairly?
Now we’ll read the parable in Luke
15; 11-32 – “Jesus continued, “There was a man who had two
sons. The younger one said to his father, “father, give me
my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between
them. 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. After he had spent everything,
there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he
began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a
citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed
pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the
pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 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! I will
set out and go back to my father and say to him, father, I
have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer
worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired
men.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was
still a long ways 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. The son said to him, ‘Father, I
have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer
worthy to be called your son.’ 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. Bring the
fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was
lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile,
the older son was in the field. When he came near the house,
he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants
and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he
replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older brother
became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out
and pleaded with him. 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. But when this son of yours
who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes
home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘My son,’ the
father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have
is yours. 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.’”
Now that we have read this story in
its entirety, we need to take a look at a couple of things.
As we saw when reading the story, the younger son was
feeding the pigs. This was an abomination to the Jewish
people, as pigs were an unclean animal. Look with me at
Leviticus chapter 11 verse 7, “And the pig though it has a
split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is
unclean for you.”
Second, the younger son told his
father that he had sinned against heaven instead of saying
that he had sinned against God. This seems like a trivial
point until you stop and think about it. The Jewish people
had a Biblical reverence when it came to the holiness of
God. They would not even speak His name because they were
afraid that they might blaspheme. Look with me at Isaiah
Chapter 6, verse 3; where we see an example of how God was
revered. “And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, Holy,
Holy is the Lord almighty; the whole earth is full of His
glory.’”
Does our culture foster a respect
for God? Along with God’s name the Bible says that
Christians are to live a holy lifestyle. Ask yourself, “What
does holiness mean to me?” Compare your answer with Hebrews
3:1; “Therefore holy brothers, who share in the heavenly
calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus the apostle and high
priest whom we confess.”
Last, the prodigal son was adorned
with the best robe, a ring, and sandals. Let’s look at the
robe. While the robe affirmed sonship to the wayward youth,
it also affirms sonship to us. Read Isaiah 61:10; “I delight
greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has
clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a
robe of righteousness as a bridegroom adorns his head; like
a priest and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
The ring also was a family seal.
Just as the father in the parable cemented the relationship
of the son in the family, so the heavenly father gives every
child of God His Spirit. Please look with me at Ephesians
Chapter 1, verse 13 - “And you also were included in Christ
when you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your
salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a
seal, the promised Holy Spirit.”
Finally, there were the sandals.
Servants in Roman times weren’t given sandals by their
masters. Sandals were reserved for the sons of the
household. Paul talks about the shoes that we are to wear as
sons and daughters of God - “And with your feet fitted with
the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”
(Ephesians 6:15).
Thinking about the peace that God
gives to us is a wonderful way to close this Chapter. Paul
talks about letting God’s peace rule in our hearts. If you
have strayed from God’s peace, there’s no better time to
come back home than now! Please join me next time for Luke
Chapter 16.
Friday Study Ministries
The First Church On The Net
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
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