Luke 15 – Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Luke 15:1-10: Parable of the Lost Sheep

A. Find Out:

1. Who was with Jesus and who objected? v.1,2
   • Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering round to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.’
2. What situation did Jesus speak about? v.3,4
   • Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
3. What happens when the man finds his sheep? v.5,6
   •  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.”
4. What principle does he then state? v.7
   • I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.
5. Who does Jesus then speak about? v.8
   • Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?
6. What happens when she finds her coin? v.9
   • And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.”
7. To what are the two outcomes similar? v.7,10
   • there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner …. there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’

B. Think:

1. What provoked these two stories?
2. What was the point of each story?
3. What did Jesus say was his point overall?

C. Comment:

Jesus has a number of the more disreputable members of society come to hear him and this upsets the religious Pharisees. They condemn these people for their sinfulness and so Jesus for being with them. So, Jesus tells two stories. (Note Jesus doesn’t just tell off the Pharisees, he tells stories because a) they are memorable and b) they need thinking about).

Now the two stories are very similar so we can take them together. In each story there is someone (a shepherd and a housewife) who has a number of things (sheep and coins) and loses ONE of them. Both people then go to great efforts to find the lost item – because the lost thing clearly means a lot to them. Again, in both cases, when the lost item has been found the owner tells everyone and has a time of rejoicing.

After each story Jesus says there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner than over all the righteous people. The stories and their application are very obvious. Look, Jesus is saying, when these sinners come looking me out, when they come looking for God, this should be a time of rejoicing not a time of criticising. God delights in sinners seeking Him out. Yes, He’s blessed by all His righteous children but when someone clearly in sin, turns and comes to Him, that is time for special rejoicing!

D. Application:

1. Attracted to the Lost? Do I have a heart of the lost like Jesus did?  Do I enjoy sharing with those who don’t know Jesus?  Do they enjoy me?
2. Appreciative: Do I appreciate the wonder of salvation? If I truly appreciate the wonder of my salvation I will truly be transformed by it and go looking for the transformation of others.

Passage: Luke 15:11-24: Parable of the Lost Son

A. Find Out:

1. What happened in Jesus next story? v.11,12
   • Jesus continued: ‘There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.” So he divided his property between them.
2. What happened to this younger son? v.13,14
   • ‘Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
3. How bad did it get? 15,16
   • So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
4. What did he realize and determine to do? v.17-19
   •  ‘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! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.”
5. Yet what happened? v.20,21
   • So he got up and went to his father. ‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms round him and kissed him. 21 ‘The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
6. But what did his father do? v.22-24 
   • ‘But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

B. Think:

1. How would you describe this son from verses 12-14?
2. What was the turning point of his life?
3. How would you describe the father?

C. Comment:

As we saw in the previous two parables, Jesus is giving illustrations about how good it is when sinners repent and come back to God. In the previous two stories it was an animal and money that was lost. Now Jesus makes it more direct and gives a story about a foolish young man. He asks for his share of the property that will come to him when his father dies. Note that this is not obligatory – the father needn’t have given it to him, but he does! The son soon takes the money and leaves – he doesn’t want to be around the father! He spends the money foolishly and is soon in great need – surely a picture of the human race. The turning point of the story is when he “came to his senses” (v.17) and faced his own stupidity. This is the turning point for any human being.     

From here on the most important thing to watch is the behaviour of the father in the story – surely God.

First of all note that he is out watching for his son’s return (v.20b). When we return to the Father we find that instantly He is there.     

Second, note his responses to his son – there are no recriminations – that was what the son expected, it is what we expect!     

Third, note what he does – he lays on a party! This is incredible! You would expect just getting on quietly, but no, it is a major celebration. The most important thing is that his son is back, that is all that matters. This is the extent of God’s love for us! 

D. Application:

1. Sinful frailty: Do I recognize the (my) human propensity in this son? Have I realized that this son was me once?
2. Accepted and Loved: Have I realized the wonder of the Father’s love for me? Do I realize that the Father loves me just as I am? 

Passage: Luke 15:25-32: Parable of the Older Son 

A. Find Out:

1. Who does Jesus’ story now turn to? v.25
   • ‘Meanwhile, the elder son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
2. What did he do? v.26,27
   •  So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 “Your brother has come,” he replied, “and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.”
3. What was his response? v.28
   • ‘The elder brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
4. What was his objection? v.29,30
   • But he answered his father, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”
5. What was the father’s first answer? v.31
   • ‘“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
6. What was the second part of his answer? v.32
   • But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”’

B. Think:

1. How would you summarize the elder brother’s complaint?
2. How does the father’s two part answer fit the brother’s complaint?
3. How may this apply to us, in the two ways?

C. Comment:

We’ve seen the wonder of the father’s love for his lost son and now Jesus brings out some other aspects of it by extending the story to include an elder son who has always been there for the father, never turning away like his younger brother.

When this brother comes in and hears what has happened, he is indignant and his complaint has two aspects to it. The first aspect is that he has always been there and has never been rewarded by a party! The father’s answer to that is that he enjoys everything on the farm – it’s his for the taking if he wants it. There is in this an implied dig that the son takes for granted the wonder of life with the father, that he doesn’t appreciate (or use fully?) what he has.

Now, bearing in mind that Jesus is speaking to the Jews and especially the religious Jews, what he is saying is that, in all these years of relationship with God, you’ve never really realised the wonder of what you have.

The second aspect of the brother’s complaint is that the wayward brother is being blessed in such abundance – and that for having been so wayward!  No, says the father, we’re celebrating the fact that he was as good as dead to us but has now come back – THAT IS worth celebrating. The religious Jews really didn’t care about the “sinners” but God does – the point is that He rejoices when we return to Him. Hallelujah!

D. Application:

1. Taken for Granted: Do WE take for granted the wonder of the relationship we have with God or does the shear wonder of our salvation thrill us daily?
2. Rejoicing over Others: Do we rejoice when someone turns to Christ?   Do we know the wonder of seeing others come to Christ and be born again, utterly transformed by the love and power of God?