FOUR AMONG THE MISSING (Luke 15)

Expository, Gospels, Luke, New Testament

LUKE 15 – FOUR AMONG THE MISSING

In Luke 15:1-2, we discover that Jesus spent time with “tax collectors (considered traitors) and sinners”. For this He was criticized by the “religious” people, who were also sinners, but unaware of their own need for the Lord Jesus.

In the rest of Luke 15, Jesus tells a three-part parable features four lost or missing things. Among the missing were a lost sheep, a lost coin, and two lost sons. Let’s think about these!

ALL WERE LOST!

  • The Sheep wandered. Luke 15:4
  • The Coin was missing. Luke 15:8
  • The sons rebelled. Luke 15:11-13, Luke 15:25-28 (Even the son that didn’t run away was lost in his self-righteous, resentful attitude!)

ALL WERE SOUGHT!

  • The shepherd sought the sheep. Luke 15:4
  • The woman sought the coin. Luke 15:8
  • The father watched, waited, and welcomed the prodigal. Luke 15:20-24
  • The father pleaded with the self-righteous brother. Luke 15:28-32

ALL WERE RESTORED… MAYBE!

  • The sheep was found and there was rejoicing. Luke 15:5-7
  • The coin was found and there was rejoicing. Luke 15:9-10
  • The prodigal returned and there was rejoicing. Luke 15:22-24
  • The self-righteous brother was pleaded with. Maybe he repented. Maybe he did not repent.