St. Luke 15: 1 – 10

August 8, 2022

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Verse 7 reminds me very much of Luke 15:31 that we will be looking at when it is listed in the readings. The ‘ninety and nine just persons’ can be compared to the elder son in 15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. In the story of the prodigal son, the father has that conversation with the elder son and it is a better, I think, explanation of how God sees us who have been believers and doers of the Word all our lives. 7 mentions ‘just persons’ and it may seem to us to be less thrilled with the ‘just persons’ than the lost sheep. But we have always had ‘all that I have is thine’ through Jesus Christ. So we are as special to God as a lost sheep. We are two flocks in the same fold, the ‘lost but found’ and the ‘always been’.

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