Jesus speaks in parables we have trouble understanding. Jesus told jokes we often miss the punch-line. Jesus answered questions we are no longer asking.We all know the Bible says Jesus wept but why doesn’t it say he laughed? I want to suggest that the reason the Bible never says Jesus laughed is because he was the one telling all the jokes.
What's So Funny?
When I was a teenager, I loved reading
the Bible. I would read about Jesus fumbling disciples and I would laugh. I
would read about how the religious establishment would give Jesus a trick
question and how Jesus hilariously answered them.
One day my Dad heard me laughing and
came into my room and very sternly asked me, “What’s so funny?” I sheepishly
said, “I’m reading the Bible.” Our problem is we are so over-familiar with the
Bible that we often miss the point. Because we think we already understand the
parable of the lost sheep that we miss the joke Jesus tells.
Jesus tells this parable to a hostile
crowd. He is being challenged by religious leaders on why he eats with sinners
and hangs out with the wrong kind of people. People are upset or angry and one
way to settle down people is to tell them a joke and that is what Jesus does.
We miss the punch-line of Jesus joke
because we are not shepherds. When Jesus says “which of you” he is talking to
shepherds. How many of you shepherds leave the ninety nine sheep in the
wilderness and go after the one? When Jesus told this parable, all the
shepherds were laughing. No shepherd would leave a whole flock of sheep in the
dangerous wilderness and search after one that wandered off. No, you cut your
losses and you go on.
If there is a parable we need to hear
with new ears again, it is this parable of the lost sheep. Hear the reading of
God’s word:
Then
all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the
Pharisees and scribes complaining, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats
with them.” So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the
ninety nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he
finds it? And when he had found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And
when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to
them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” I say to you
that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than
over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:1-7).
Jesus tells this joke that ends with
the powerful description of how God sees lost sheep. God loves it when lost
sheep are found and prodigals come home. The story not only tells how much God
values us but also challenges our lack of concern and religious egos that think
we are better than other people who need to repent as if we don’t.
Just like Jesus said the parable of the
different soils is the key to unlocking his parables, so Matthew 13:13 says,
“Though seeing, we don’t see, though hearing, we don’t understand.” The key to
unlocking this parable of Jesus is to listen to God’s word with sinners ears
and to respond with a repentant heart. One of the oldest prayers in the
scriptures is the prayer, “Lord, have mercy” or “Lord, have mercy on me a
sinner.” This kind of prayer invites Jesus into our lives and asks Jesus to
help us find our way back home again.
Our problem is we can be like the
religious establishment of Jesus’ day who did not rejoice when undesirables and
messy people come home to God. I mean if Jesus is criticized for hanging out
with the wrong people, when is the last time you got criticized for hanging out
with the wrong kind of people? Does the church want people today to have their
lives cleaned up and the messy baggage left at home before they are welcome in
our churches? The sad reality is God loves everyone without exception and we do
not.
Lost
in Translation
This parable of the lost sheep in Luke
chapter fifteen is part of three parables with the lost coin and the lost son.
What we need to see in these three parables is how God works differently in the
lives of his people. In the parable of the lost sheep, the good shepherd Jesus
seeks after the lost. In the parable of the lost coin, the Holy Spirit seeks
the lost with searching illumination. In the parable of the lost son, the
Father seeks the lost with open arms.
I’m excited to see when the church
reaching out to people who are hurting, abandoned, and forgotten. When people
reach out to kids on the street who need attention and help, there is great joy
in heaven. When men are trying to mentor boys who have been abused and
abandoned, there is great joy in heaven. When people go to nursing homes to
give a cup of cold water in Jesus name and simply spend time and love people, there
is great joy in heaven.
Each of these three parables reveals an
increase in value. One sheep was not worth much and one out of a hundred is one
percent. Coins were more valuable than a sheep and one coin lost out of ten
equals ten percent. Sons are far greater value than sheep and coins and one son
is lost out of two so the value increases to fifty percent. Each of the three
lost items happen differently. The lost sheep wanders away like people today
wander away from churches. The lost coin is lost by someone else and the lost
son is rebellious and leaves home.
Keep
Counting
Each of these three parables are
stories about counting. Our problem today is because times have become
difficult for many churches, people have quit counting. I know a powerful Christian
leader in
Jesus powerful parable is a strong
reminder to us today to not quit counting. Don’t stop noticing those who have
wandered off into the world. Keep counting because every person has great value
and worth to God and His kingdom. Don’t stop counting because every single
person who has wandered away from God or the church is important to God. God
cares about numbers because every single person counts!
Parables
of Reversal
Jesus is this crazy shepherd who goes
after those who nobody else is going after. Jesus tells us in many of his
parables that God is not like us but extends his grace and mercy to others
where we often do not. We like to think we are the safe ninety nine in the fold
and not like the lost person wandering in the wilderness. Are you sure?
Do we care more about belonging to the
church or about people who have left the church? Do we care more about the
flock than the Shepherd? Does any of this sound familiar today? But the lost
sheep left us. They get what they deserve for leaving the flock? Is that our
response? Or how about, I rejoice and celebrate and laugh even when one
returns. Is that our response?
I believe Jesus would give this parable
differently in today’s church in which we live in. Jesus would say something
like this to us. Ninety nine sheep have gone missing and only one sheep is left
in the fold. Now what are you going to do about it? The hard reality is we are
no longer a majority today. The church
of Jesus Christ
Will the church live as a missionary
outpost reaching out to those who nobody is going after? Will the church
welcome back those who have left the church? Will the church start more
missionary outposts to reach more people for God’s kingdom? Is God preparing
you for a new mission in life?
The greatest thing in the world is
knowing Jesus the good shepherd. He will never leave nor forsake you. He never
forgets or ever misleads you. When we fall, he lifts us up. When we fail, he
forgives. When we are weak, he gives us strength to go on. When we are afraid,
he gives us courage. When we are hurt, he heals us. When we are blind, he leads
us. He is the good shepherd and he is always there for us. When we face trials,
he is there beside us. When we face problems, he comforts us. When we face loss,
he provides for us. Even when we face death, he is there to carry us home. He
is the faithful good Shepherd. Are you completely His?
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