These parables emphasize rejoicing at the recovery of “lost” things. The original hearers were scribes and Pharisees who accused Jesus of “guilt by association” for fraternizing with those they considered sinners. They were scandalized that He would eat with such “unclean” people. By their standards, there was no way Jesus could be a truly “great” teacher if He associated with such people! The common thread in these parables was intended for their benefit.
Most people then were very familiar with sheep; the preferred animals for offerings and sacrifices, sheep were also valuable sources of wool, milk and meat. Shepherds and their flocks were common sights in Judah. Sheep wander when grazing, “following their noses” without much regard for their surroundings, which means they need constant supervision. Leaving the flock to search for a stray implied that the ninety-nine were safe in a sheepfold, and could be left without worry. The shepherd’s willingness to go out alone for one stray sheep shows his determination and genuine care. Jesus described Himself (John 10) as the “supreme” shepherd, willing to die to protect His flock.
The coin in the second parable was a Greek drachma, a small silver coin worth about one day’s wage for a laborer. Jewish women of that day would often string together ten such coins as a necklace or chaplet (headdress) to indicate that that they were married. In the parable, the coin represents value, and its loss prompted an immediate search when the woman missed it. Ancient houses were dark; streets were narrow, windows were rare and expensive, and most houses had dirt floors and only one door. Finding a small coin in such a house would have been a difficult and trying exercise! Like the shepherd with his sheep, this image also represents God’s care for His people, with the number of coins suggesting ALL humanity (not just the Jews).
In the final parable, Jewish law prescribed the normal terms of inheritance; an estate was divided by the number of heirs, plus one more share. The firstborn son received two shares, and all others received one share. Thus, the younger son’s portion was one-third of the father’s estate. Jesus depicts an impatient youth, demanding “his” share as soon as possible. After wasting everything, the boy feeds pigs to avoid starving (the fact that these unclean animals were eating
In the pigpen, Jesus says the boy “came to himself,” as if he had been (morally) “asleep” or unconscious. After leaving home as a “prince,” the shame of his condition awakens his conscience, and he resolves to return home in the hope of being accepted as a mere “servant” (a common day-laborer with no particular skill).
These parables illustrate the three basic ways people become “lost” (separated from fellowship with God through sin):
- Like sheep, we may be lost through our own carelessness. When sheep stray, they don’t know they are lost. Many people live like sheep, moving away from God without considering where their steps lead. Hebrews 2:1 warns us to pay attention to our surroundings and our spiritual condition, lest we “drift away!”
- Like the lost coin, a person can be influenced by the mistakes and actions of others. Jesus didn’t say “how” the woman lost her coin, only that it was lost. Very few people intend to become lost, but harsh words or hypocrisy from others may move them away from God.
- Unlike the sheep or the coin, BOTH sons were lost through their choices and actions. The younger boy thought only of gratifying fleshly desires: He embraced sin with his eyes wide open but his mind resolutely shut to its consequences. By focusing on his own “righteousness,” the older brother lost sight of the ultimate goal of pleasing his father and enjoying his blessings. Resentment of the father’s mercy to his brother shows that he too had “strayed.”
The main point of these parables, however, is not simply that “people are lost in sin.” What they show is God wants us to be saved, and rejoices when we are – a lesson these scribes and Pharisees were very unwilling to accept!
-Dave Rogers
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