LUKE 15 THIS MAN
Unfolding in the Gospel of Luke are various aspects of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of Man. In this chapter "this Man" is seen as the One who has concern for the lost, loves sinners, seeks the wanderers and welcomes the repentant ones who come to Him. All of this brings to the forefront of our minds and hearts, the grace of God. In each part of this parable the theme that accompanies the lost being found is joy. God has the right to get joy from what is rightfully His. Whether it be as helpless as a sheep lost in the wilderness, as useless as a coin lost in a dark room or as hopeless as a son among strangers in a strange country, God is wanting to get joy from that which is lost.
The publicans and sinners, who were outcast socially from those who led the Jews, could see in the Lord Jesus, a Person who cared for them and had genuine interest in them in spite of their situation in life. It is important for us to look on people with the Lord's eyes, not our own prejudices that are affected by the social "mores" and mere human opinion. "God is no respecter of persons." Our view of any person should be that of one who recognizes the value of every person as one who is going to live forever either in heaven or in hell. "This Man" was not only willing to open sinners to the benefits of His grace, but He was ready to take all the time necessary to let them know His interest was genuine by sharing a meal with them. Some people are in need and know it. They were willing to hear, and they wanted to hear Him. There are those today who are in need of a Savior and know it. They are usually the poor, overlooked and socially rejected by those who consider themselves socially acceptable. To say a person is not "assembly material" is to put people in a different place than God puts them. He wants to save the outcasts. Those are the ones who "drew near to hear Him." That simple act of faith gave God's grace the opportunity to show how God pities. loves and values sinners.
Some people are in need and can't do anything about it. Those who are lost souls are as helpless as a sheep alone in the wilderness. They don't know where to go. They don't know who to turn to for help. About all they can do is sound a call for help. The suffering Savior is not unaware of the need of those who are lost in this dangerous and ungodly world. The Lord Jesus Christ, "The Son of Man, is come to seek and to save that which was lost." The suffering of the Son when He was in this world was because we were all hopelessly lost and "without strength." How gracious He was when in His grace "for your sakes He became poor" that He might bring us to God. The Lord Jesus searched for this lost sheep until He found it. He cared for it when He found it. He carried it when He found it and brought it to His home. He called others to rejoice with Him when He found it. The ninety-nine left in the world were not lost even though they were in the wilderness. A person who has never recognized they are lost has never been saved. Until one realizes their condition and their need, they will remain "in the wilderness."
But there is more to be learned about lost sinners than is given in the part of the parable dealing with the lost sheep. Some people are in need and they don't know it. They are as useless as a hidden coin in a dark room. The inheritance and value of the lost coin was not known by the coin, but by the woman who knew its value. It is not uncommon for many people to underestimate their worth in God's eyes. Many, think of themselves of no greater value than an animal, bird or even old-growth trees. The tragedy of the humanists is they don't know the potential God sees in every man, woman and child He made in His own image. The seeking Spirit may not be known or even felt by the lost person until there comes a stirring of the intellect as they are convicted of sin by the Spirit. Then there comes the awakening of conscience when the Spirit convicts of righteousness. The wasted empty lives of people leave them unsatisfied. The emotions are awakened as the seeking Spirit convicts of judgment to come and a person looks beyond the grave into the eternal future. The stirring, seeking work of the Holy Spirit brings out of the darkness of sin that person who was useless to God, others and themselves, and brings them to the place they belong, and for the purpose for which they were created. The Holy Spirit knows what is needed to find the lost and that it takes time to search for it. When we are involved in the work of the Gospel, we need to leave the Holy Spirit to do His work, in His time and in His way. He awakens the lost soul. He convicts and brings about repentance. He produces the life of regeneration when Christ is revealed as the Savior of sinners.
There are also some people who are in need and are willing to repent. They are those who are as lonely as a son in a foreign country among strangers. Those are the ones who thought they were missing out on all the world had to offer. They were determined to "do it my way." When the emptiness of life without Christ, without God and without hope strikes home to them, they realize they have nothing left to try and nothing left to spend. The younger son knew what was missing - "he spent all." He also knew what to do - "he came to himself." He got to the place where he finally could think straight and sensibly. He also knew where to go - "I will arise and go to my father." He had been everywhere else he wanted to go and done what he wanted to do. None of those things satisfied. Now he knew what to say - "I have sinned." This was no casual statement lessening the seriousness of who he was and what he had done by calling it a mistake. This was an honest evaluation of himself, his life, his guilt, his sin and the only hope he had - "I will arise and go to my father."
The watching and waiting father daily waited for his son to come. God the Father is waiting for the return of the lost. When the lost one comes in repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, there is singing in the presence of the Father. Joy in heaven is a real thing that happens when God reaches out to the lost and is able to bring the lost sheep, the lost silver and the lost sinner to His home. Those who think they deserve all of these blessings because of who they are and the life they try to live in order to earn the favor of God, know nothing of the value of God's grace. They have no personal relationship with the Son, the Spirit and the Father. When the lost is found there is joy. Even the servants of the Father enjoy the abundance of the Father's table as they follow the Father to serve Him. They had access to His treasure and appreciated His house and His joy when the lost was found. Our service is not in vain in the Lord.
There are many who we pray for and hope they soon will see The value of the work of God on their behalf as He searches earnestly To bring them to His place of blessing when thy call on Him - And when repentance of sin is real, new life in Christ begins.
The ones looked down on by many are the ones the Savior seeks. While others seem self-satisfied, the guilty ones beseech Him to speak to them in way they can easily understand - Through clay lips of servants, He speaks truth to those in every land.
As a Shepherd He seeks for those who have gone astray. Diligently as the Suffering Son, He searches night and day To find the lost and bring them home where He can then rejoice Over a lost one found who now intently listens to His voice.
The Spirit seeks in places dark where one's worth is really lost. Things have to be moved and stirred so that in spite the cost - Hidden value is revealed and the Spirit reaches out to save The one who was useless once, now to him new life He gave.
With watching eyes of grace and love the Father in heaven waits. The lost son in the world of sin seems near to hell's dark gate - Until with broken heart and will, he turns his feet toward home - And finds a welcome from the Father who waited for him to come.
In boundless grace the God of heaven waits for each one who comes. We who read see two different brothers, but there is a third Son. He is the Son of Man who came lost sinners to befriend. The message of God's redeeming grace is a story that never ends.
"I thank Thee, O Gracious Father, for Thy longsuffering and the patient watching for the lost to come back from the dark paths of sin into the light of Thy great salvation. This day is open before me to use in ways which can bring glory to Thee. Keep Thy servant from wasting time on things that have no value. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."