Luke

By Joyce Webb 2021

Chapter 15 Verses 1-32

Verse 1,2 Many people were coming close to Jesus to hear him.

The Jewish church leaders felt themselves to be better than the common people. They looked at all of them as “sinners” and “lower” than themselves.

They criticized Jesus for being willing to be with all those “sinners”.

Verse 3-7 Jesus began to tell a story: Who of you—if you had 100 sheep—and one became lost—would you not go looking for that one sheep? And when you found it—would you not carry it home—then call your neighbors and say “Be happy with me, I have found my sheep.”?

Jesus said: So it is in heaven, there is joy and happiness, over one person who repents and comes to God—-more than there is for the 99 who do not repent of their sin.

Verse 8 Jesus told another story: A woman had 10 coins of silver. She lost one coin. She lit a candle and used a broom to sweep the house–looking for the one coin. When she found it, she told the neighbors—”Be happy with me, I have found the coin.”

Verse 10 Jesus said: This is the way it is in heaven —happiness, and joy—over one sinner who repents and turns to God.

( The Jewish church leaders thought they were “holy”. In their mind they were not “sinners”. They obeyed all the laws of Moses.

Their problem was that they were full of pride, selfishness, and some were mean.

Yet, they still thought of themselves as “holy” and “good”. Jesus saw their hearts and thoughts. Their hearts and thoughts were not holy or kind or loving. They were sinners, too. They just did not see it.)

Verse 11 Jesus tells another story: A man had 2 sons. The younger son said to his father–”Give me my inheritance now.”

(A person’s inheritance is money or houses or land—-from their parents—that they are given when their parents die. This son did not want to wait until his father died, he wanted the money, now.)

The father gave the son the money that he would have gotten later.

The son took the money and left home. He went far away. He had a good time with friends. He had parties, and drinking, and women—etc. Finally, all the money was gone.

At the same time, a famine came to the area where he was living. A famine means no food or very little food.

The young man had no money now. It was hard to get food. It was hard to get a job. He finally found a job feeding a farmer’s pigs.

This was a “low, dirty” job for a Jewish person. They did not eat pig meat. The pig was a dirty animal. They did not raise pigs on their farms. They had nothing to do with pigs.

This was the only job he could get. One day he was feeding the pigs, and the young man was so hungry he thought about eating the husks of the corn that the pigs were eating.

Then he thought —what am I doing? In my father’s house, the servant’s have good food to eat. I could go home and ask my father to let me be a servant–I could work for him —-I could at least have food to eat.

The son knew he was not worthy to be called “son” any more—not after taking the money and spending it all on foolish things.

He was ashamed. He had been foolish. But he was also very hungry.

He decided to go home and beg his father to let him work as a servant.

As the son was coming near to his home, he saw a man run out to meet him on the road. It was his father.

His father had been looking for him —ever since the son left—his father had been looking—hoping his son would come back home.

His father was so happy to see him. He hugged him and kissed him.

The son was so ashamed. He was dirty, he smelled like a pig, he had spent all the money.

He said, I am not worthy to be your son. Just make me a servant.

The father said, No—you are my son. He called for servants to bring a robe to cover the son. He put a ring on the son’s finger.

He told the servants to make a big meal. They were going to celebrate that the son had come home.

The older brother—the one who had stayed home—the one who did as he was suppose to—was angry. His younger foolish brother did not deserve to be treated so well.

He said to the father—I have been with you and done what I should all this time—-and you never gave me a big party.

The father said, All that I have —you could have used any time you wanted to.

The father said to the older brother— You should be happy that your brother who was lost and “dead” to us—-has come home—he is alive to us again.

(To those of us who have been taught in a Christian home from the time we are children, and who have learned about God. We who have obeyed the Bible and followed God’s teachings—we sometimes feel like the older brother.

We see people who have sinned and done awful things. Finally, they learn about Jesus and they asked for forgiveness and they turn their lives around. Then God uses them and they become great leaders or preachers.

And we who have been faithful all the time, wonder about it all.

Maybe we get jealous. Maybe we feel left out.

But we should feel happy and rejoice—that the one who was lost is now found and is following Jesus.

We, too, since we have been with Jesus all the time—-have all the supply of our needs and more than we need— available to us to have, and to use. We have no reason to be jealous or feel left out. )

This story about the two sons is often called The Prodigal Son.

(Prodigal means wasteful. The word “prodigal” is also used when talking about someone who has gone off and done many wrong things and then comes back asking for forgiveness.)