And all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to Him, to hear Him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, This one receives sinners and eats with them. And He spoke to them this parable, saying,
Suppose one of you having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety nine in the deserted place and go after the lost one until he finds it? And finding it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And coming to the house, he calls together the friends and neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that had been lost. I say to you that so is joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.
Suppose a woman has ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma does not light a lamp and sweep the house, and look carefully until she finds it? And finding it, she calls together the friends and neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I lost. I say to you, So there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
And He said, A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to the father, Father give me that part of the property falling to me. And he divided the inheritance between them. And not many days after, gathering up all things, the younger son went away to a distant country. And there he wasted his property, living dissolutely. But having spent all his things, a severe famine came throughout that country, and he began to be in need. And going, he was joined to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he longed to fill his stomach from the husks which the pigs ate, but no one gave to him. But coming to himself he said, How many servants of my father have plenty of loaves, and I am perishing with famine. Rising up, I will go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I sinned against Heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants. And rising up, he came to his father. But he yet being far away, his father saw him and was moved with pity and he ran and fell on his neck and fervently kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you, and no longer am I worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his slaves, Bring out the best robe and clothe him, and give a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet. And bring the fattened calf, slaughter and let us eat and rejoice; for this son of mine was dead, and lived again, and was lost, and was found. And they began to be merry.
But the older son was in the field. And having come, as he drew near to the house, he heard music and dances. And having called one of the children, he inquired what this may be. And he said to him, Your brother came, and your father killed the fattened calf, because he received him back in health. But he was angry and did not desire to go in. Then coming out, his father begged him. But answering, he said to the father, Behold, so many years I serve you, and I have never transgressed a command of you. And you never gave a goat to me, so that I might be merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, the one devouring your living with harlots, you killed the fattened calf for him. But he said to him, Child, you are always with me, and all of my things are yours. But to be merry and to rejoice was right, for this brother of yours was dead, and lived again; he was lost and he was found.
(Luke 15:1-32)
I am sure we have all been to a movie which didn’t have an ending. The movie was building to a climax: would he get the girl or not? Would the couple get back together again? Would the man die? Suddenly the movie has ended and we don’t know what happened. The movie finished but without informing us how it turned out in the end. A movie like that, if done well, leaves us thinking about what happened, far more so than if it concluded the story within the context of the movie. The unfinished ending approach leaves us to conclude what we think about the story in the movie, our story and life in general. It’s a literary or cinemagraphic technique to prompt us to think about it.
There are patterns and repetitions all through this parable of Jesus. The story is constructed that way. It is like a story we might tell our children, with a principle in it that we wanted them to get as they hear the story. So the story is filled with the same scenario told over and over in different contexts. Allow me to make up a story, or the outline of a story, as an example. Imagine the story set in the jungle with animal characters, such that the boy in the centre of the story meets lots of animals to reinforce the point. He met the monkey but the monkey tricked him in order to get a banana and didn’t give him the help that he needed. The re-occurring punchline is, “So beware, you have to choose your friends carefully.” Following that, the boy meets a tiger who tricks him in order to get a pineapple, and doesn’t give him the help he needed. “So beware, you have to choose your friends carefully.” After that he meets a wolf who tricks him to get a papaya and doesn’t give him the help he needed. “So beware, you have to choose your friends carefully.” More animals follow, each one tricking him in order to get what they want, but don’t help the boy with what he needs. Each time the segment is closed with the refrain, “So beware, you have to choose your friends carefully.” Finally he meets an elephant. When offered peanuts by the boy, the elephant refuses them in order to help the boy with what he needs. Moral of the story:”Beware, you have to choose your friends carefully.”
That is exactly what Jesus is doing here. Ponder the repetitive elements and the unexpected parts of the story for a while. They hold the key to understanding what this parable is all about. Take into account the wider scope of this parable. There are other elements that we will explore as we go through this story, but let me highlight three now.
- Note the younger son (the prodigal) says . . . rising up, “I will go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I sinned against Heaven and before you,
- and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”
- And rising up . . . the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you, and no longer am I worthy to be called your son.”
Intriguing isn’t it. We even have the “rising up” element repeated. The text mirrors what was said by the son. Jesus wanted to catch their attention and create an expectation for what was to follow. It is the same technique as used in the kids’ story. It contains a certain predictability and so the hearers are more involved in the story because they know what is coming. But in this case, it is more important to note what is not said, rather than what is said. The son has said half of what he planned to say but the ending is missing. He has not said, “Make me as one of your hired servants.”
Why not? Analyze this very carefully. We will return to it in a later Gem in this Prodigal Son series.
But note, there is more unrealized expectation in this story. Notice the structure of the story that is repeated three times. I gave you the outline in the last Gem.
Notice the repetitions in this passage. Did you see them the other day?
- Something is lost
- Great effort is made to get it back
- The lost is found
- Friends and neighbours are called to rejoice
- Repentance is emphasized
- There is great rejoicing in heaven
Interesting that the unit concerning the lost sheep is closed with: “I say to you that so is joy in Heaven over one sinner repenting, than over ninety nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.” 15:7
Notice the same thing with the unit concerning the lost coin: “I say to you, So there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner repenting.” 15:10
It is like this unit is being used to close each sequence. It closes the lost sheep segment, it also closes the lost coin segment. But noticeably, the segment which is most appropriate for this statement about rejoicing in heaven among the angels over one sinner who repents, is the lost son. Sheep don’t need to repent. Coins don’t need to repent. But people sure do. The place the audience is expecting that refrain, is the time when it is not mentioned. The story is not completed. The closing refrain is not given for the part where it most belongs. Now why is that?
You don’t expect me to tell you, do you? I will leave the ball in your court and we will pick it up at a later time.
Sometimes what you DO NOT say has more impact than what you DO say.
Ian Vail
A good sermon should have a good beginning and a good ending, and they should be as close together as possible.
George Burns
Don’t let the itch for things or the ear for applause derail you from your God-intended design.
Max Lucado
God’s unconditional love for me doesn’t mean He approves of everything I think, do, or say or don’t say. Every parent knows the difference.
Anon