Joy In Seeking & Restoring the Lost (preaching resource for 9/14/25, 14th Sunday after Pentecost)

This post exegetes Luke chapter 15 providing context for the Gospel reading on 9/14/25. the 14th Sunday after Pentecost. Insights are drawn from Warren Wiersbe ("The Bible Expository Commentary"), Howard Marshall ("New Bible Commentary") and Robert Farrar Capon ("Kingdom, Grace, Judgment"). 

"The Return of the Prodigal Son" (public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Introduction

The scribes and Pharisees will eat publicly only with those they consider “righteous” (like themselves!). But here comes Jesus who not only welcomes and teaches “tax collectors and sinners,” but openly shares meals with outcasts like these! Jesus has come not to shun the outcasts and rejects, but “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). And so the scribes and Pharisees turn against Jesus. In response (and to help his disciples share his love for the lost), Jesus, in Luke 15, tells parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. The third parable is the central focus, and culminates in a joy-filled banquet (a theme also used in Luke 14). Jesus’ mission, given him by the Father, is to seek out the lost and bring them into the joy of God’s kingdom banquet. Here we see Jesus’ great joy in seeking and restoring the lost and we hear Jesus’ call to join with him in this kingdom work.

A lost sheep 

Luke 15:1–7

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." 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 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.

Jesus is spending time with “tax collectors and sinners”—and the Pharisees are furious!  Jesus replies to their self-righteous bigotry with a parable about a shepherd (a despised vocation in that culture), who seeks after one lost sheep. Why concern for only one?  In that culture, a shepherd was financially responsible for each sheep; if one went missing, the shepherd had to pay for it unless he could prove it was killed by a predator. Thus the shepherd is concerned for only one, and greatly rejoices when it is found and returned to safety. Jesus’ point is that every person—no matter how lost and lowly—is known to and dearly loved by Jesus (who is the shepherd of all humanity). Unlike the Pharisees, Jesus does not prefer some sheep above others—all belong to him; all are known to him; all are cared for by him—not a single one is lost to him (though they may be lost in their own distorted thinking and living). To call a person “lost” is thus, for Jesus, a term of affection and concern, not derision or exclusion. So rejoice with Jesus—the lost (including you!) have been found!

Note: in explaining these three parables, it is often emphasized that lost sinners must repent before being forgiven. But a word of caution is in order, since Jesus uses a dumb sheep and an inanimate coin to represent lost sinners. These people are sought because they are lost, not because they have earned anything from God through repentance. To repent in these parables is to change one’s heart toward Jesus who has already found them—to open their hearts to his loving concern, forgiveness and acceptance which precedes repentance. They then repent because the Father, who has already forgiven them, has now, in Jesus, found them. Their repentance does not merit this forgiveness and acceptance. The only thing we lost sinners bring to Jesus is our utter “lostness” (“deadness”). Our hearts are opened to see Jesus and his lavish grace toward us as we face and confess our deadness. Thus we understand that repentance follows forgiveness. We will see this most clearly in the parable of the lost son.

A lost coin 

Luke 15:8-10

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? 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.

When a Jewish girl married, she began to wear a headband of ten silver coins to signify her married status. It was the Jewish version of our modern wedding ring, and it would be considered a calamity for her to lose one of those coins. Palestinian houses were dark, so she had to light a lamp and search until she found the lost coin. We can imagine her great joy at finding it. This is emblematic of Jesus’ joy in finding lost sinners and restoring them in the Spirit back to the Father. Did the coin earn this?  No, and that’s part of the point.

A lost son 

Luke 15:11–32

This third parable is often called “the parable of the prodigal son,” but the emphasis is not on the son, but on the prodigious love and grace of the father. Jesus uses this parable to unveil the heart of God the Father toward all humanity, his dearly loved children. We learn of this heart through the human father’s response to his younger son’s rebellion and repentance and to his older son’s objections.

The younger son’s rebellion (vv. 11–16) 

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.

According to Jewish law, an elder son received twice as much as the other sons (Deut. 21:17), and a father could distribute his wealth during his lifetime if he wished. It was perfectly legal for the younger son to ask for his share of the estate and even to sell it, but it was tantamount to saying to the father, “I consider you to be dead!” Clearly this younger son is motivated by greed and covetousness, not by love for his father.  He foolishly imagined that life away from his father would give him freedom. He wanted to have his own way so he rebelled against his father and broke his father’s heart. But life in the far country was not what he expected. His resources ran out, a famine came, and the boy was forced to do for a stranger what he would not do for his own father—go to work! This scene in the drama is Jesus’ way of emphasizing what sin really does in the lives of those who reject the Father’s will. Sin promises freedom, but only brings only slavery (John 8:34); it promises success, but brings failure; it promises life, but “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). The boy thought he would “find himself,” but he only lost himself! When God our true Father is left out of our lives, enjoyment becomes enslavement.

The younger son’s change of heart (vv. 17–19) 

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! 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.'

As he continued wallowing with the pigs (what a job for a Jewish boy!), the younger son “came to his senses,” which suggests that up to that point he had not been in his right mind. Indeed, there is an “insanity” in sin—it paralyzes the image of God within us and liberates the “animal” inside.  Coming to his senses meant that the young man changed his mind about himself, about his situation and, most importantly, about his father. He confessed to himself that his father was, indeed, a generous and forgiving man and that service at home would be far better than “freedom” in this far country.  Indeed, it is recognition of God’s goodness and grace toward us that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). If the boy had thought only about himself—his hunger, his homesickness, his loneliness—he would have despaired. But his painful circumstances helped him see his father in a new way, and this gave him hope in the midst of despair. If his father was so good to servants, maybe he would be good to a son. And this hope led him to turn back to his father—first in his heart, and then with his feet. But note that in his brokenness, his emphasis is still on himself, “I will set out…”  “I will go back…”  I will say…” He still has a lot to learn about the father, and about his unearned place in the family.

The father’s forgiveness and joy (vv. 20–24) 

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.

Here Jesus answers the accusations of the scribes and Pharisees (Luke 15:2), for the father not only ran to welcome his son, but honored the boy’s homecoming by preparing a great feast and inviting the village. The father never did permit the younger son to finish his confession; he interrupted him, because he had already forgiven him, and ordered the celebration of the boy’s new life to begin! The point is that God the Father is rich in mercy and grace toward all humanity—because of Jesus, all people (no matter how bad their behavior) are God’s dearly loved children. His heart is always open to them in love (Eph. 2:1–10), and in love, he is always pursuing them and welcoming them home, no questions asked. 

This lavish and unusual love that the father has toward his son is seen clearly and shockingly in this scene. In the ancient Near East, old men never ran (to do so would be quite unseemly); yet the father runs to his son. Why? One obvious reason was his love for him and his desire to show him that love. But there may be something else here. This wayward son had brought disgrace to his family and village and, according to Deuteronomy 21:18–21, should have been stoned to death. If the neighbors had started to stone him, they would have hit the father who was embracing him!  What a picture of what Jesus has done for all humanity by taking our punishment upon himself and dying our death so that we might join in the celebration of his resurrection life!

Note as well that everything the younger son hoped to find in the far country, he discovered back home: clothes, jewelry, friends, joyful celebration, love, and assurance for the future. What made the difference? Instead of saying, “Father, give me!” he said, “Father, make me!” He was willing to be the father’s servant! Of course, the father did not ask him to “earn” his forgiveness—no amount of good works can earn our salvation (Eph. 2:8–10; Titus 3:3–7). In the far country, the wayward son learned the meaning of misery; but back home, he discovered the meaning of mercy. The ring from the father was a symbol of sonship, and the “best robe” (no doubt the father’s), proof of his acceptance in the family (see Gen. 41:42; Isa. 61:10; 2Cor. 5:21). Servants did not wear rings, shoes, or such robes. The feast was the father’s way of showing his joy and sharing it with others. Had the boy been dealt with according to Law, there would have been a funeral, not a feast. What a beautiful illustration of Psalm 103:10–14!  It is interesting to consider the father’s description of his son’s experience: he was dead, and is now alive; he was lost, and is now found. This is the spiritual experience of every lost sinner who, in faith, turns to the Father and there finds home. 

The older son’s objections (vv. 25–32)

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.'

At this point, the scribes and Pharisees are likely confident that they’ve escaped judgment, for Jesus has centered his attention on the tax collectors and sinners (pictured by the younger son). But now Jesus introduces into the story the older son, who clearly represents the scribes and Pharisees. The tax collectors and sinners are guilty of obvious sins of the flesh, but these Jewish religious leaders are guilty of less visible (though quite real) sins of the heart.  We should realize that the older son (like a good Pharisee) has certain virtues: he has worked hard for his father and never disgraced his home or village; indeed, he’s a “solid citizen” (and, compared to his younger brother, nearly a saint!). However, he has failed to obey the great commands of the Law (Luke 10:25–28) to love God (represented in the parable by the father), and to love people (represented in the parable by the wayward brother). Not only does he refuse to forgive his brother who has wasted the family inheritance and disgraced the family name; he will not forgive his father who has graciously forgiven the younger son those very sins! He openly announces the sins of his younger brother, but he cannot see his own sins of pride, anger and self-righteousness. 

The same father who ran to meet the younger son now comes out of the house of feasting to plead with his older son to join in the celebration. But his son refuses and stays outside and pouts. And thus he misses the joy of the father and of the family in forgiving his brother and of participating in restored fellowship. Jesus does not tell how the story ends. However, we know that the scribes and Pharisees continue to oppose Jesus and separate themselves from his followers. Their leaders eventually bring about Jesus’ arrest and death. In spite of the God's pleading, they will not come into the kingdom feast with Jesus. How very sad.

Conclusion

How ironic! Everybody in this chapter experiences joy except the kill-joy older son. The shepherd; the woman and her friends; the father and his younger son and their household—all these experience the joy of seeking and restoring what is lost. The original audience hearing these parables would have been shocked—Jesus is clearly saying that God actually searches for lost sinners!  But there is no place in the legalistic theology of the scribes and Pharisees for a God like that!  In spite of their supposed knowledge of Scripture, the scribes and Pharisees forget that God is like a father who pities his wayward children (Psa. 103:8–14). To participate with Jesus, in the Spirit, in this mission and ministry of the Father is our calling!  Who do we know who is lost?  Let’s participate with Jesus who is already with them—seeking and restoring!  There is no greater joy or higher calling.