“Lost, but found by Jesus, because He knows where I am”

September 15, 2019

Gospel Lesson: 　 Luke 15:1–10 [Joy over one restored sheep]

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable:

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Second Lesson:　 1 Timothy 1: 12–17 [The Lord’s Grace to Paul]

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Pharisees grumbled because “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” There is an old saying, “We are known by the company we keep.” So if Jesus is friendly with ungodly sinners and thieving tax collectors, then Jesus too must be a bad person like them. In a good sense, some Pharisees hoped that Jesus would be a good influence on the people of Israel. He spoke the Word of God, words of hope and comfort and love. He also spoke words of judgment against sin. And so many Pharisees thought he was a hypocrite. They thought his words against sin were not matched by his actions. He spoke to sinners and even had meals with them.

To Jesus, these sinners were the lost sheep of Israel. They too believed in God. But they had wandered off the straight and narrow, especially the straight and narrow as defined by the Pharisees. The Pharisees and 99% of the Jews were saved and were safe to be left in the open field. Jesus was not worried about their faith. Jesus explained his mission in Luke 19:10, concerning Zacchaeus the tax collector, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” When found, both the sheep and the shepherd rejoice, when found both the sinner and the Savior and the angels of God rejoice! Therefore Jesus wants the Pharisees, and us, to rejoice when sinners come to Jesus.

One such lost sheep was St. Paul. At that time his name was Saul. He was a very strict Pharisee and vigorously persecuted Christians. At that time Saul did not know he was lost. He thought he was doing the right thing! And so he headed out to arrest Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial. But the Lord Jesus found him on the Road to Damascus and showed him the true Way.

Years later, St. Paul wrote a letter to Timothy. Timothy was a young preacher and St. Paul wrote some advice on how to have order in the church. But the first thing was to preach the Gospel faithfully, because there were people teaching strange interpretations of the Law of God. Paul called them “ungodly, sinful, unholy, and irreligious.” He listed “murders, adulterers, perverts, slave traders, and liars.” And then Paul listed up his own sin. “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man.” He does not say he was innocent, but he did not know he was lost like a sheep in the wilderness. He says, “I acted in ignorance and unbelief.”

In that ignorance and unbelief, he would never have found Jesus. Jesus had to find him. That exciting story is in Acts 9. In a blinding light from heaven, the Lord Jesus spoke to him. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” For three days he was blind. The disciple Ananias placed his hands on Saul. His blindness was taken away and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, Saul came to faith and was baptized.

If Jesus had not appeared to him, Saul would have remained a lost sinner. He knew that he would not have come to faith by his own effort. He wrote it this way, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” And “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” Was he really the worst sinner in the world? That “honor” really goes to Jesus who took the sin of the world upon himself on the cross. But Paul felt his sin to be the worst kind, because in persecuting Christ he was preventing the forgiveness of sin and salvation to others. And then, Paul saw the great, merciful plan of God. He wrote, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life”

Jesus concluded the Parable of the Lost Sheep with these words, “I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” St. Paul expressed his joy of salvation +in these words, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Today’s parable of Jesus is beloved by Christians for many reasons.

1. We like sheep, we think they are cute.

2. Jesus is the hero who saves the lost sheep.

3. We like rejoicing.

4. We see in this parable Psalm 23, which we all love. The sheep is safe even in the valley of the shadow of death, because Jesus is there. And the rejoicing is a banquet with a cup that overflows in eternal blessings.

5. We like the story because we have been lost and worried about our sin or our troubles in life. And when we felt out of luck, out of time, and out of faith, then was the time that Jesus stepped in and found us! So we know that the lost sheep in the parable is us, and we know that Jesus has found us.

6. We like parties, and Sunday Morning worship is a celebration of salvation.

7. Now that we are safe with the flock of 99, we know there are other lost sheep who need to be found and brought into the church. And so we pray for them and then do what we can to tell them the Good News of Jesus Christ. They may be sinners and persecutors of the church like St. Paul was, but like St. Paul, Jesus can lead even them home and we rejoice with the angels over their salvation.

8. And we like this story because even when we are lost or worried or in trouble, Jesus knows where we are. He hears our prayers and rescues us.

And so we join St. Paul in his words of praise. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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