Verses 1, 2. The story of the grace of God to needy sinners attracts them and all the publicans and sinners drew near unto Him to hear Him. What He said suited them so well. The scribes and Pharisees on the contrary murmured saying, “This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.” They could not appreciate grace to the undeserving, it was against their creed of self-righteousness. They speak disparagingly of the Lord, “This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.” What they put down as His faults, we know was blessedly true; every opened ear rejoices in it. He loves the sinner. He hates the sin, and this the blind Pharisee could not understand; the light that was in them was darkness and was leading them downward.
Verses 3, 4. He spoke a parable unto them, saying, “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?”
This parable has three parts: the first is the shepherd and the sheep. In this one it is the love of the shepherd for his sheep that makes us think of Jesus laying aside His heavenly glory and leaving His bright home above to come down to look after the lost one. (2 Cor. 8:99For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)).
Thou the light that showed our sin,
Showed how guilty we had been:
Thine the love that us to save
Thine own Son for sinners gave.
On Calvary we see Him bearing the judgment of sin, forsaken of God, and then afterward He said, “It is finished,” and. then goes down into death. God raised Him from the dead, and crowned Him with glory and honor, to make plain to us that all His claims were satisfied, and now in righteousness He can receive the sinner who believes on Jesus. (Rom. 3:2626To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:26)). He, the Lord of Glory, came to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)). It is the lost sheep He seeks. There is no salvation for the good people who think they are the ninety and nine. The lost sheep pictures the sinner living in sin and wandering away far from God.
Verse 5. And when He hath found it, He layeth it on His shoulders, rejoicing. When the sheep is found, it is His care, and He carries it all the way home on His shoulders. What a safe place! Is He not almighty? Then is the sheep eternally secure.
Verses 6, 7. And when He cometh home. His friends and neighbors are called in to rejoice with Him. over the lost sheep being found. And there shall be joy in heaven when He brings us all home who were His lost sheep This speaks of the future joy over saved sinners in glory, and till He gets them there He cares for them.
The Shepherd’s bosom bears each lamb
O’er rock, and waste, and wild.
The object of that love I am
And carried like a child.
Verses 8-10. The second part of the parable pictures the work of the Holy Spirit in the woman in her house, out of sight, with her light and broom sweeping the house until she finds her lost piece of silver, which pictures the sinner with the image of God stamped upon him, yet dead in trespasses and sins, lying covered up by the dust of this world till the light of God’s. Word reaches him. And she also calls her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her. Likewise there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. and that is present joy over the saved sinner.
In the third part we find the full story of the sinner, and the Father’s love, and the self-righteous Pharisee.
Verses 11-24. And He said, “A certain man had two sons.” These are seen also in Matthew 21:28-3228But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. (Matthew 21:28‑32). Sons by creation, not yet by redemption. (Acts 17:2828For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17:28)). The younger pictures the degraded sinner, the: other the self-righteous sinner. The younger one gets all he can, and goes away, like sinners do now, to have his swing of the world, what he calls “a good time.” He is trying to forget God, so that he can do just what he likes, have the pleasures of sin which are for a season. In that far country, where he thinks God cannot see him, he wastes his substance with riotous living. He gets to the end of it. There were plenty of companions when he had lots to spend, but now all is gone, he is ruined, and then a mighty famine arose in that land, and he had nothing to eat. Then as some do, who begin to realize that they are sinners, they try to do their best, but what was his best? He went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. This is Satan’s way to keep ruined souls away from Christ, but all their righteousness is but filthy rags, (Isa. 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)), and his very occupation was sin to the Jew. The man that is seeking to establish his own righteousness is not submitting himself to the righteousness of God. (Rom. 10:3, 43For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (Romans 10:3‑4)). And so sore was this “famine for the Word of God,” that he tried to eat the swine’s food, and no man gave unto him. The Holy Spirit speaks by the Word to the sinner’s heart and conscience, so thoughts of the father’s house and plenty begin to come. “And he came to himself.” Are men that forget God in their senses? It seems not, till they are wakened up. Then he begins to say to himself, “How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.’”
“Thoughts of his father and of the plenty there, art leading him now—this is the Spirit’s work in his soul—so he arose, and came to his father.
Now the father’s wonderful love and grace shine out, for “when he is yet d great way off, his father saw him.” Love’s eye is keen. “And had compassion on him, and ran.” Love’s feet are swift. “And fell on his neck, and covered him with kisses:” And this before he could say a word. He is forgiven, and he, knows it and is humbled by this love. He Said, “Father I have sinned against heaven, and. in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” Yes, all true, repentance and confession are there, but he does not, he cannot insult the grace and love shown him, by saying,. “Make me as one of thy hired servants.” Those kisses forbad it. He is a subject of grace, and must let the father act consistently with his own loving heart. He therefore stands still and hears his father say, “Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.” O! what a robe the righteousness of God is, and that has been waiting iii God’s heavenly wardrobe ever since Christ died, to put on every sinner who will take the sinner’s place before God. (Rom. 3:21, 2221But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:21‑22); 2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)).
“Clad in this robe, how bright I ‘shine!’
Angels possess not such a dress;
Angels have not a robe like mine—
Jesus the Lord’s my righteousness”
Then the ring, the symbol of eternal love and relationship, is also bestowed upon him, so the Holy Spirit is given to all who believe. (Eph. 1:1313In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)). And the shoes indicating the liberty of the children to run in and out—in to enjoy the Father’s presence and to ‘feed’ upon Christ, and out to show out His virtues in our lives before men. Then the saved man is fit to go inside the house where the feast is prepared, the fatted calf is killed and the Father and, all His friends, with the returned sinner, feast together in fellowship divine. In Spirit already tasting the joys of heaven. It is a foretaste of home that we have now by the Spirit’s blessed power in our souls.
Thus this heavenly merry making began, and, praises God, it never ends. Pleasures that are forever more, are here begun on earth.
There is only one black spot in all this radiant scene of love and grace: Verses 25-30, The elder son draws near enough to hear, the music and dancing; and he called a servant to, ask what these things meant., The servant replied, “Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.” Yes, he was safe and sound, but this Pharisee was angry, and would not go in. His father came out and intreated him without avail to come in, but he could not dance to that kind of music, it was no music to him, so he could not rejoice in the good of his brother. He answered, “Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: And yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou has killed for him the fatted calf.” What a denial this is that man is a sinner, that all have transgressed, that all are guilty before God. What blind conceit this showed in the Pharisees. And what distance from God this showed them living in.
Verses 31, 32. Now the Father takes him on his profession He does not here prove his guilt, but says, “Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found.” As much as to say, If you are right yourself, rejoice that your brother has received blessing; but, no, he stays out, and in the next chapter we will find the Pharisee with all his riches and pleasures of this life and religion as well, is lost in hell—such is the end of Phariseeism.