One of the fun things of reading the Bible through in a year is coming across “old friends.” For example, I’m back in Luke 15, the chapter that contains the parables:

• The Lost Sheep
• The Lost Coin
• The Two Lost Sons (most of the time called the parable of the Prodigal Son, but that’s much too narrow a look)

Let’s spend a few days with these old friends, beginning with another “L”: the Listeners. Knowing who the listeners are is critical to understanding what Jesus is saying.

Many dishonest tax collectors and other notorious sinners often gathered around to listen as Jesus taught the people. This raised concerns among the Jewish religious leaders and experts of the law. Indignant, they grumbled and complained, saying, “Look at how this man associates with all these notorious sinners and welcomes them all to come to him!” In response, Jesus gave them this illustration: “There once was a shepherd with a hundred lambs… (Luke 15.1 – 4, TPT)

“In response, Jesus gave them this illustration.” Who are “them”? The Jewish religious leaders and experts of the law, who are indignant that Jesus is hanging around with the people listed in verse 1. But I’ve written before that this is a ridiculous matter to be indignant about! If you are a teacher, whom should you be teaching? Shouldn’t you be teaching people who need the teaching?

…Anyone who does not know the Teaching, you teach them. (Ezra 7.25, MSG)

And how can you teach people if you’re not around them? I’ve written before that if I want to teach mathematics, I have to hang around non-mathematicians! The horror of it all.

Jesus attempts to reach the religious leaders with these three stories, which we’ll explore briefly over the next few days.

• The sheep was lost outside the house and knew he was lost.
• The coin was lost inside the house and didn’t know it was lost.
• Of the two sons, one was lost outside the house and knew he was lost; the other was lost inside the house and didn’t know it.

Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riff-raff?” Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.” (Matthew 9.10 – 13, MSG)