Luke 15 Critiquing the Pharisees Part 1

As I previously mentioned I am starting a series of blogs about some of the parables of Jesus. Several of these stories have really captured my attention in unique ways for some time, and I wanted to share some of the dynamics and insights I've found within them. Some of the posts will be long, others will be extremely short. And of course I'd love to hear your thoughts along the way, get to share in the things that you've found that I've missed. So with that said, let's get started. The first parable (or set of parables) I want to talk about is found in Luke 15, the familiar parable of the "Prodigal Son."


The parable of the man with two sons commonly called the Prodigal Son doesn’t actually begin at verse 11. In actuality it starts no later than verse 1. This chapter begins with a scene in which Jesus is teaching and “tax collectors and sinners” were gathering to listen to him. The Pharisees and teachers of the law are grumbling about the kind of company Jesus welcomes and eats with. It is in response to this grumbling that Jesus tells three parables. The first is a parable concerning a lost sheep, the second is a parable about a lost coin, and the third is a parable concerning lost sons. These stories are interesting in that they serve in very subtle ways to both justify Jesus’ activity while simultaneously condemning the activity of the religious leaders of the day.

Question: Why is the sheep and the coin lost? Now certainly sheep can wander off, but by and large sheep tend to flock together, they’re followers. That’s why you wouldn’t want to mix sheep and goats. Goats wander, sheep follow. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a critique against the shepherd, but certainly could be especially in light of the second parable about the lost coin. Unlike animals, coins don’t simply wander off. The coin is obviously lost due to mismanagement (unless of course she has a two year old, in which case this would be completely understandable). How does someone lose a day’s wages?

Jesus is obviously defending himself, he is the one going off after those who are “lost.” But, could this also be a critique against the religious leaders of his day?
As we move toward the parable of the two sons we will see that lostness can occur for multiple reasons. But, looking at these two parables together we find that one reason for lostness can be mismanagement. Could it be that Jesus is saying to the religious leaders of his day that he wouldn’t have to be the one finding the sheep or coin if they had done their job correctly to begin with?

Herston 30 for 30

A bit of an update. I know it's been a bit since I've blogged. For anyone who might have been looking for a post, sorry. I've got something in the works that is going to be some good stuff, so don't give up on me. I've had several specific parables of Jesus that have just been returning to me over and over again over the last few years, and I want to spend some time dwelling on them, learning what you get out of them, and sharing some of the things I've gotten as they have been brought back to me over and over again. So, besides working on this series of posts what have I been up to? Glad you asked.

I've posted about this a couple of times, but I've been quite busy with some different things one of which being my 30 for 30 campaign. My hope is that other people's lives will be better because I existed. That there will be people who live because I lived. In short, in some small way I want the world to be a better place because I'm a part of it. So, with my 30th birthday coming up what better than to ask friends and family to give toward building a well in Africa. $1 = clean water for 1 person for 1 year. $5000 = a well providing clean water for a village for generations. That means I need 150-175 people to give $30 each for my 30th birthday (not including my personal contributions). If you feel generous feel free to give more. To learn more visit www.30for30.jonathanherston.com