Parables…Of the Lost
Luke 15 is a chapter that strikes me and redefines my definition of love. “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. ( vv 1 - 3 ) - NIV Thinking about these parables especially of the lost sheep and coin in which there were remainders of 99 and 9 respectively, I felt that the characters in these parables were being greedy. Isn’t 99 and 9 more than just 1, aren’t they greedy to want an intact 100 and 10? But then I realized the import of their actions. The woman and man in these parables were not greedy, No, they never were. They could just not afford to lose that one sheep or one coin. In fact, that one sheep and one coin meant as much to them as the 99 and the 9. The man was probably worrying, “ How can this sheep be alone? How can he survive on his