When I was attending seminary, I had several part-time jobs, one of which was with an interior design firm. In the spring of 1983, the firm purchased an old house on the next block, with the intent to renovate it for offices. I spent that summer gutting the house, preparing it for renovation. Because of the age of the house, it was full of what is known as lath, which is a predecessor to the dry wall that builders now use when constructing walls. Lath is a thin, narrow strip of wood, a number of which are nailed horizontal to wall studs. Those strips of wood are then covered with plaster to form a wall. If you have ever lived in or renovated a home that used lath, you are probably familiar with the reality of the dust, and often coal soot, that is behind the lath. Each day, when I was finished tearing out the old lath, I was covered head to toe with dust and heavy amounts of coal soot. I was, to put it bluntly, a dirty, nasty mess. At the time I was doing this work, one of my roommates asked me to meet him after work at a car dealership, where he was looking at a new car. I told him I would be glad to stop by, but to be there at the time he wanted me to arrive I would have to come straight from work and that I would be a dirty mess. I arrived a little early, parked my car, and started walking around the lot. It was a beautiful summer day – certainly a nice day to be outside – and after a few minutes noticed something odd. No one had come outside to ask if I needed any help. I assumed it was because of my appearance, as I looked like I was a person who had absolutely no money to purchase a car (which was, actually, true, as I was a student with very little money). When my roommate arrived, it was only a matter of moments before several people approached him to see if he needed any help. My roommate, who was not a seminary student, but an accountant, was dressed in nice clothes and wearing a tie, so my suspicions became even stronger that I was not offered help because of my appearance. I decided, in order to satisfy my curiosity, to conduct an experiment. I decided I would visit the car lot again in a few days, but make sure I was clean and wearing the nicest set of clothes that I owned. So, several days later, I parked my old car out of sight and walked to the lot, and moments after stepping onto the lot I was greeted by several employees, who happily offered their assistance. Clearly, appearance had made a difference in how I was treated. There are, I think, few things as bothersome or irritating as knowing someone looks down upon you and considers you as less than equal, either because of your appearance or some other reason. The way in which I was treated at that business, and made to feel less important than others, still stings after all these years.
The setting for this morning’s message is similar to what I experienced, as Luke tells us that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were critical of Jesus because he welcomes sinners and eats with them(verse 2). As a group, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were what we commonly refer to as self-righteous. One of the definitions of self-righteous is to look down upon others as being of lesser value and, therefore, not to be treated with the respect, dignity, and love that every child of God deserves.
Our Scripture text for the morning is the Parable of the Lost Sheep. Found in the first seven verses of Luke chapter 15, the entirety of that chapter is filled with three parables, all of which concern lost things. There is, first, the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin (verses 8 – 10), and most famously, the Parable of the Lost Son (verses 11 – 32. Though it is usually called the Parable of the Prodigal Son, it would be more accurate to call it either the Parable of the Prodigal Sons or the Parable of the Lost Sons, as both sons were prodigals and lost in their own ways).
Follow along with me as I read from the Luke 15:1-7 (NIV) –
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.
2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 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?
5 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.’
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 persons who do not need to repent.
I like to preach from the parables because there are multiple layers of meaning, allowing us to take away different lessons each time we turn to them. That is certainly true of this parable, and this morning we will study it as it speaks to three audiences of people – those who are lost sheep but either do not know it or refuse to acknowledge it, those who recognize they are lost sheep and are looking and hoping to be found, and those lost sheep who have been found.
1. Those who do not know they are lost or refuse to acknowledge it.
The setting for the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Luke tells us, is a time when tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus, and because Jesus welcomed them the Pharisees and the teachers of the lawcomplained, as they so often did. Generally speaking, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law – and the religious leaders in general – did not see the typical person as their equals. There was an air of superiority exuded by the religious leaders, as they saw themselves as not only more righteous than other people, but also as God’s favorites. In their minds, Jesus should have avoided the tax collectors and sinners, who they saw as people not worthy of any attention, certainly not any attention from God. It was, however, absurd that the Pharisees and teachers of the law would apply the word sinnersto others, as that is a term that applies to everyone. Who is not a sinner? As Romans 3:23 says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All, not some. The reality, which the Pharisees and teachers of the law could not – or would not – see, was that they were no better than anyone else. While it might have been possible for them to claim a higher level of morality and adherence to religious law, that did not mean they were not sinners just like everyone else.
Although they did claim a higher level of morality and adherence to religious law, the spiritual arrogance of the Pharisees and teachers of the law was in conflict with the very law they claimed to uphold. The law of Moses did not offer any justification that allowed them to make claims of being more righteous than others, which Jesus pointed out in the Sermon On the Mount, especially in chapter 5, where he says six times, you have heard that it was said…but I say to you(21 “You have heard that it was saidto the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell youthat anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell youthat anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell youthat anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was saidto the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect). Jesus pointed out, very powerfully and convincingly, that while the Pharisees and teachers of the law seemed to hold to that law, their arrogance and self-righteousness betrayed the reality that their attitudes were very much in conflict with those laws.
It is an odd way to demonstrate righteousness, I think, by making it a virtue to look down one’s nose at others. You can feel the contemptuousness dripping from the Pharisees and the teachers of the law as they sneered their disapproval about those with whom Jesus associated. It is not only tragic that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law exhibited such an attitude, but it’s sad as well, because they could not see their own self-righteousness. The reality is, however, that we all have blind spots in life, and being blind to one’s own self-righteousness is especially tragic. If one has been taught, for instance (as many of us no doubt were), that we should be careful about our associations so that we might protect our reputations, it becomes easy to make it a virtue of avoiding certain people. I am not seeking to justify the attitude of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, certainly, but do want to remind us that such attitudes can easily take root in our own hearts, and can do so with the aiding and abetting of those we admire and trust, which can cause us to believe we are taking a course of action that is both good and right.
There is, I want to point out, another reason why self-righteousness is troublesome and dangerous, and that is because of the impact it can have on the lives of others. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were leaders, and several weeks ago I spoke about the responsibilities of those in positions of leadership. Leaders have responsibility, in part, because they can make life better or worse for others. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law had an obligation to improve the lives of others, but they did not. Instead, they made life more difficult for those whom they considered sinners. They did this be creating an atmosphere in which those they deemed to be sinnerswould be stigmatized by society, which led in turn to them being limited in their social, religious, political, and economic opportunities. As leaders, the Pharisees and teachers of the law helped to shape the ways in which people would be treated in society, and by stigmatizing others, they brought to bear upon them a level of disapproval which made their lives difficult. This is one of the reasons why Jesus was so often critical of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (read, for instance, Matthew chapter 23, where Jesus offered a scathing rebuke of them), because they made life difficult for others. Those leaders, who were called to improve the lives of others, to lift up others, and to lessen the burdens of others, had, in fact, hurt the lives of others, held them down, and increased their burdens. In doing so, they misinterpreted and misused the laws of God.
Leadership, again, is so very important because of the impact it can have upon the lives of others, and that impact can be for good or ill. Leaders should be public advocates for those who struggle in life and for those who are outcasts in the larger society. I don’t often mention my Sentinel-Newscolumns in church, but I will say something about them here. Obviously, not everyone in our community agrees with some of what I publish in those columns, and I know that no everyone in the church agrees with them (and, to be honest, I do not worry about the criticism. In fact, I often appreciate that criticism because of what I can learn from it. Even though their words at times can sting, I understand that my critics are not always wrong). Some of the criticism is very harsh, especially the criticism that does not come via the letters to the editor criticizing what I write. The critiques I personally receive, especially the anonymous critiques, can be very pointed. When I receive a letter that is marked on the envelope with the words personal and confidentialI am sure of several things before I open and read it. First, I know it is not a gift card to Cattleman’s Restaurant. Second, I know it is going to be a harsh critique, and third, I know it will almost certainly be anonymous. That’s when I am told things such as you are working in league with Satanor you are Satan’s right-hand man. So why do I write what I write? It is because I believe that by virtue of my position I have a public voice, and it is my responsibility to use that voice to improve the lives of others. It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that some in the religious community here in our county, and beyond, will use their voices and influence to limit the freedom and opportunities of others. I am not willing to that, and as long as I have a voice, I will speak against any such actions.
2. Those who recognize they are lost sheep and are looking and hoping to be found.
As I have told you before, I grew up on a small farm in West Virginia. We raised cattle, hogs, and chickens in the early years, and I can say that some animals are easier to deal with than others. I never minded dealing with cattle, as they are docile animals, for the most part. They were also easy to get back into the pastures when they got outside of the fences. All we had to do was pick up the container in which we carried the sweet feed that they liked so much and they would follow you anywhere. Hogs, however, were not that simple. Hogs are very smart animals and could always find a way to get out of their fences, and were very difficult to get back in. My own opinion, when they escaped their pen, was to say to them you want out? Great. Good luck surviving out there on your own. My dad, however, had a different idea, and it always involved dropping whatever we were doing to get the hogs back in their pen. Chickens were not easy to deal with either, as they could – and would – peck and scratch fairly viciously. Sheep are an animal I never had experience with, but it seems to me they would be easy to work with. The point is, when you have animals you do not want to lose any of them. Farmers go to great lengths to protect their animals and to find them when they wander off. Why would a farmer want to lose an animal? Simply put, they do not want to lose any of their animals. Searching for what is lost is one of the most basic impulses of humanity. What parent, for instance, if they lost a child, would say, well, I have several more, so that’s okay if I lose one? I have four siblings, and I know my parents would not have said, if one of us had been lost, well, we still have four. That’s 80%, which is satisfactory. There are sheep that are lost, and they are looking and hoping to be found. That the Pharisees and teachers of the law were so willing to write off so many people – people created by and loved by God – was a great offense to Jesus.
I love the image of the shepherdjoyfullyputting the sheep on his shoulders and carrying it home. That’s a beautiful image, of a joyful shepherd and, I’m sure, a very happy sheep. But it is an image that reminds us of several other truths as well. Not many animals are content to be carried, at least not for much of a distance, but the sheep found by the shepherd remained on his shoulders the entire distance back to the pen, signifying its own happiness at having been found. For the shepherd, his joy also came with the burden of carrying his animal. I don’t know the distance he had to carry the sheep, and I don’t know its size, but I think it is safe to say that even a lamb gets heavy very quickly. But the shepherd, even with the burden of the weight of the sheep, continued to carry his animal. As the shepherd had the sheep around his shoulders, he had one hand holding tight to the back legs and the other hand holding on to the front legs, as if to say, I’ve got you, and I’m not going to let you go. You are not going to be lost again!
There are so many people who are lost sheep and they are looking, and hoping, to be found. Reaching out to, and finding them, carries a burden. For the shepherd, it was a time-consuming search and a burden to carry the animal back to the flock. It is not easy to be involved in the lives of others. It is not easy to invest time in the lives of others. It is not easy to help people with their burdens and their struggles, but it is very much needed. There are so many people who wonder if anyone is looking for them, if anyone cares, if anyone will reach out to them.
The Pharisees and teachers of the law not only would not reach out to the lost sheep, they would not have rejoiced when the lost sheep are found. What a judgment that was upon them. Jesus never criticized the desire they had for high moral standards and personal righteousness; what Jesus criticized was their self-righteousness, a self-righteousness that left them unable to rejoice in the finding of lost sheep or to even care that the sheep were lost. If a person cannot care about and love those whom God loves, their righteousness is not worth anything, as righteousness responds in love to the lost sheep.
3. The Sheep Who Have Been Found.
One of the key themes of this parable is that of rejoicing. The shepherd rejoiced at finding his lost sheep, and God rejoices when a person repents. My band recently played at a Celebrate Recovery event. If you are not familiar with Celebrate Recovery, it is a faith-based recovery program. We have played a few of these events and I enjoy doing them, and one of the reasons why I enjoy them so much is because of the joy that is so obvious as they gather. As they moved through their program the crowd in attendance clapped, cheered, hugged, and encouraged one another. When people came to get their tokens for their sobriety – one month, two months, and beyond – the crowd cheered for each one, offered hugs, pats on the back, and other ways of encouragement. When individuals came to the front to tell stories of their recovery they were greeted with joy and enthusiasm, which obviously provided great encouragement to those who came to speak. Although there were people present who represented all levels of education and economics, they treated one another as equals, and there was certainly no sign of the kind of self-righteousness demonstrated by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. It is very touching to see people exhibit such joy, especially when it is joy that comes from lost sheep who have been found.
One of the people at the celebration was wearing a T-shirt that caught my eye. Across the back was printed the phrase I’m one of “those” people. I think that is a great saying, and it is a great saying because of what is a dual meaning. At one time, the person was one of thosepeople who had probably been looked down upon and condemned because of their condition. The person was one of thosepeople considered to be a sinner because of their struggle, struggles that no doubt affected the lives of others. But the person was also one of thosepeople who had been found, and not only found, but rescued from their addiction and all of its attendant problems, one of thosepeople who had gone from unloved to loved, and one of thosepeople who had gone from rejected to accepted.
Let us never forget that we are all, at some point, lost sheep. Someone took the time to reach out to us, to find us, and to carry us back to the fold. The love of God in Jesus is always searching, always reaching out, always seeking to recover the lost sheep. May it be that we are always searching with God, and rejoicing when a sheep is found!
