Lecture Notes: Luke 15 - Common English Bible (CEB)

Context and Setting

• Audience: Tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees, and legal experts.
• Reaction: Pharisees and legal experts complain about Jesus welcoming sinners.

Parables Shared by Jesus

Parable of the Lost Sheep

• Scenario: A shepherd with 100 sheep loses one.
• Action: Leaves 99 sheep to find the lost one.
• Outcome: Thrilled upon finding it, he celebrates with friends and neighbors.
• Moral: More joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than 99 righteous not needing repentance.

Parable of the Lost Coin

• Scenario: A woman with 10 silver coins loses one.
• Action: Diligently searches until she finds it.
• Outcome: Calls friends and neighbors to celebrate finding the lost coin.
• Moral: Joy among angels for one sinner who repents.

Parable of the Prodigal Son

• Characters: A father and his two sons.

• Younger Son:

  • Demands his inheritance and squanders it in a distant land.
  • Faces hardship during a famine and works feeding pigs.
  • Decides to return home, repentant, asking to be a servant.
  • Father's Reaction:
    • Sees him from afar, filled with compassion, welcomes him back.
    • Orders a celebration for his "dead" and "lost" son who is "alive" and "found."
    • Symbols of Acceptance: Best robe, ring, sandals, and a feast with the fattened calf.

• Older Son:

  • Returns from the field, hears celebrations.
  • Angry at the celebration for his brother.
  • Complains of never receiving a celebration for his own loyalty.
  • Father's Assurance:
    • Reminds him that he is always with him and everything is his.
    • Emphasizes the necessity to celebrate because the lost brother is now found.

Key Themes

• Redemption and Forgiveness: Central theme illustrating God's joy in repentance.
• Celebration of Repentance: Joy in heaven for sinners who repent.
• Compassion and Mercy: Emphasized through the father’s actions toward both sons.
• Contrast of Attitudes: The forgiving father versus the resentful older brother.

Reflection Questions

• How do these parables illustrate the nature of forgiveness and repentance?
• What lessons can we learn about compassion and understanding from the father’s reaction?
• How do these stories challenge our understanding of justice and mercy?