The Prodigal Son (Part 2)

If you are wondering why this is part 2, follow this link and read part 1 first:

Part 1

Okay, now that that's cleared up, let's get to the good stuff.

My apologies for the next part taking so long. I've been doing something every night for the past week. But, anyway, here goes.

For starters, we're going to look a little bit at the verses that come before the parable.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Chapter 15
1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3So he told them this parable: 4“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? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And 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.’ 7Just 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.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8“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? 9And 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.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The first key point to consider is the audience of these three parables (the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the prodigal son). In verses 1-3, we see that Jesus tells these parables as a response to the Pharisee's outrage. The Pharisees were upset because Jesus was hanging out with sinners. He was eating with tax collectors and others that had a bad reputation for the period. Jesus is using these parables to point out that he has come to save the sinners who need saving. That is not to say that the "good people" don't need Jesus. Verse 7 tells us that when one sinner comes to salvation and repents (they are closely connected), there is much happiness, just like in the first parable with the sheep. But it also compares that event to 99 righteous people that don't need any repentance. Now it is obvious from the teaching of God's word that no one is righteous enough on their own. Everyone needs repentance and everyone needs Jesus.

Romans 3:23-24
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

It seems to make the most sense then, that this verse is a sarcastic remark referring to the Pharisees' exalted view of themselves as righteous. The parable of the lost coin has the same meaning as the lost sheep, but the repeated metaphor is to emphasize the fact that a sinner, like the ones Jesus was with, coming to repentance is a great and joyous event in Heaven. But the Pharisees couldn't see past the fact that all these people were "worse" sinners than they were. It is obvious of course from Romans, and the rest of the Bible that all sin is deserving of the same end punishment in God's eyes, and so the Pharisees weren't any better.

Well, I guess the application for this section is that God is willing and waiting to receive a repentant sinner who will accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Another application would be more of a warning. Be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking that you are more righteous than anyone else, and always be willing to forgive them.

As a preview of what's to come, the Parable of the Prodigal has two focuses. There is the story of forgiveness and acceptance of the repentant sinner, but there is also a message to the Pharisees, which is also an invitation for Salvation and forgiveness. It would make sense that Jesus would involve the Pharisees in the parable since they were the primary audience of all three parables. I think the next two parts of this set are going to focus on these two aspects of the parable of the prodigal son. But that's for next time, and the time after.