THE GOSPELS 221
addition to the prodigal son,
contains two other parables linked
by a common theme—the lost sheep
and the lost coin. In the first of
these parables, Jesus is not worried
about the sheep that are safe—all
99 of them; he is concerned about
the one sheep that is lost. The point
is reiterated in the second parable,
about a lost coin which, when
rediscovered, becomes all the more
treasured. Throughout these first
two parables, Jesus repeatedly
states the possibility of forgiveness
and redemption, saying: “there is
rejoicing in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner
who repents” (15:10).
In the parable of the prodigal
son, this message is taken further,
with the lost being contrasted
against the faithful. The prodigal
son represents any person who
has—one way or another, through
greed or negligence—strayed from
God. His older brother represents
the loyal believers who, basking
in their self-righteousness, may
be blind to the sin of their own
arrogance; his presence in the story
reminds those who hear it that the
grace of God is above petty human
notions of justice and fairness.The father figure represents God
Himself. Despite having been
wronged by his son’s actions,
he loves him and welcomes him
home with open arms—just as
God, throughout the Bible, forgives
His people for their misdeeds
on the basis of His grace. The
message of the Prodigal Son is
clear. It is the people who are lost
that need to be shown God’s mercy
and forgiveness the most, so that
they may be found again.Context of Luke
Though Luke was not present with
Jesus at the time of His ministry—
in all likelihood, he did not convert
until after the resurrection—it is
notable that his Gospel account is
the only one to include the parable
of the prodigal son. While the
Synoptic Gospels of Matthew,
Mark, and Luke are broadly similar
in content, the Gospel of Luke in
particular addresses a specific
challenge often put to Jesus—that
in associating with sinners, He
Himself is acting sinfully. It is
therefore perhaps not surprising
that Luke alone would focus on
a tale that encourages forgiveness
of the wayward sinner, regardless of
any transgressions in his past. ■Lost and found
As well as the three parables
in Luke 15, the notion of
things that are “lost” and
“found” features elsewhere
in the Bible, such as Luke
19:10 and Psalm 119. In Psalm
119 in particular, the idea is
highly relevant. This acrostic
poem is a prayer to God, which
tells Him: “I have strayed like
a lost sheep. Seek your servant,
for I have not forgotten your
commands” (Psalm 119:176).
Isaiah 41:10 sums up God’s
reaction to all such pleas from
the lost who pray for guidance:
“So do not fear for I am with
you; do not be dismayed, for I
am your God. I will strengthen
you and help you; I will uphold
you with my strong right
hand.” Solomon, the son of
King David, also preaches
about the need to trust in
God, and to do so fully,
“with all your heart and lean
not on your understanding”
(Proverbs 3:5). He goes on to
say that if you acknowledge
God “in all your ways” and
“submit to him,” then God will
“make your paths straight”
(Proverbs 3:6). According to
Solomon, by following the
word of God and obeying His
will, His people will be guided
through life and not become
“lost” or sinful.When he came to his
senses, he said, ‘How
many of my father’s hired
servants have food to
spare, and here I am
starving to death!’
Luke 15:17His father saw him and
was filled with compassion
for him; he ran to his son,
threw his arms around
him, and kissed him.
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