Luke 15, a visual study from The Lampstand Project.
For this my son was dead and is alive.
The lost sheep. The lost coin. The prodigal son. Three parables of finding, and three parties that follow.
Three parables. One shepherd. One woman. One father.
Luke 15 is arguably the most beloved chapter in the Gospel. It is told in response to the grumbling of Pharisees and scribes who say: this man receives sinners and eats with them. Jesus answers with three parables. Each concerns something lost that is found, and each ends with a party. The climactic third parable includes two lost sons and two different kinds of lostness.
A chapter in 3 movements.
Tap any numbered marker to read its part
“Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
The lost sheep. Joy over the one.
Tax collectors and sinners are drawing near to hear Jesus, and the Pharisees and scribes grumble: this man receives sinners and eats with them. Jesus answers with three parables. What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? When he has found it he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing, and when he comes home he calls together his friends: rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.
I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. The parable challenges the math of respectability. The ninety-nine are safe. The one is the occasion for a search, a finding, a party, and a theological statement about the priorities of heaven. Luke has been accumulating these reversals since chapter 1.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
“Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.”
The lost coin. A woman searching by lamplight.
Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors: rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost. Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
This second parable is unique to Luke. It is the only parable in the Synoptic Gospels that explicitly names a woman as the protagonist who represents God. She searches. She lights the lamp. She sweeps the whole house. She does not rest until she finds it. The scale is domestic and the stakes seem small, but the joy is disproportionate, as joy before the angels of God is always disproportionate.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
“But while he was still a great way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
The prodigal son. Two sons. The father who runs.
There is a man who has two sons. The younger says: father, give me the share of property that is coming to me. Not many days later he journeys to a far country and squanders his property in reckless living. A severe famine arises. He ends up feeding pigs, desiring to eat the pods the pigs eat. He comes to himself: my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger. I will arise and go to my father and say: I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your servants.
He arises and goes to his father. While he is still a great way off his father sees him and feels compassion and runs and falls on his neck and kisses him. The son begins his speech. The father interrupts: bring quickly the best robe. A ring. Shoes. The fattened calf. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. The older son is in the field. He hears music and is angry. The father goes out to him: son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate, for your brother was dead and is alive. The chapter ends without his answer.
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
The father runs. He sees the son while he is still a great way off. He is filled with compassion. He falls on his neck and kisses him. The son begins the speech he has rehearsed: I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me one of your hired servants. The father interrupts and calls for the best robe, the ring, the shoes, the fattened calf. This is the most detailed portrait of grace in the Synoptic Gospels: not waiting to see if the son deserves it, but running while he is still a great way off.
The chapter of the lost found.
Tax collectors and sinners are drawing near to hear Jesus. The Pharisees and scribes grumble: this man receives sinners and eats with them. Jesus answers with three parables. Which man having a hundred sheep, if he loses one, does not leave the ninety-nine and go after the lost one? When he finds it he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing and calls his friends: rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.
A woman having ten coins and losing one lights a lamp and sweeps the house and searches carefully until she finds it. She calls her friends: rejoice with me, for I have found the coin I had lost. Joy before the angels over one sinner who repents. Then the prodigal son: the younger son takes his inheritance and wastes it in a far country. When famine comes and he is feeding pigs, he comes to himself. I will arise and go to my father. He arises. While he is still a great way off, his father sees him and runs.
“There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”Luke 15:10 ESV
All scripture quoted from the English Standard Version (ESV). A study from The Lampstand Project.