Yesterday I started writing about the Luke 15 parables:

• The Lost Sheep
• The Lost Coin
• The Two Lost Sons (often called The Prodigal Son)

After yesterday’s introduction on the Listeners, I intended to spend one blog on each parable, but I can’t do that. They form a set. So let’s consider them together at least one more time.

Yesterday, I offered this summary:

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.

Today’s let’s notice that the three stories contain common elements:

• Something is lost (the sheep, the coin, the younger brother)
• Someone searches (the shepherd, the woman)
• Something is found
• There is a party

EXCEPT in the third story, no one searches. The Father waited expectantly, but no one searched. I believe it would have been the older brother’s job to do his Father’s will by searching, but he doesn’t. We’ll explore that third parable in more detail. Remember, the Bible doesn’t call it the “Parable of the Prodigal Son:”

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.” (Luke 15.11, ESV)

If more of us were searching, maybe there would be more celebrating.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19.10, ESV)