Joy in heaven over one sinner who repents

Luke 15 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. ² Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

³ So He told them this parable, saying, ⁴ “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

⁸ “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

¹¹ And He said, “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. ¹³ And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. ¹⁴ Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶ And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. ¹⁷ But when he came to ^[g]his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! ¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ ²⁰ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; ²³ and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. ²⁹ But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; ³⁰ but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’³¹ And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

Today’s text begins saying:  Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”  So He told them this parable, saying,  “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”  There is a common misconception or perhaps a deliberate deception regarding Jesus association with outcasts and sinners. Many people misrepresent portions of scripture, such as this text today, as though it indicates that Jesus would prefer the company of outcasts and sinners rather than the company of believers and the church. Whether decieved or deceivers, those who promote such an idea, speak nothing more than nonsense.  Look at the first parable Jesus tells: “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”   The one who goes out in search of the lost does not leave it there, in its lost condition. He picks it up and carries it back. He does not rejoice in the lost state of the sheep. Rather he rejoices that it has been found. The joy in heaven is not over the lost state of the sinner, it is over one sinner who repents. Look also at the second parable:   “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  Again the rejoicing is not over the lost state. Just as the woman lights a lamp, so too Jesus, the light of the world, illuminates the darkness so that what is lost may be found. Again the joy in heaven is over the repentance of the sinner. There is no joy over what is lost, but rather there is diligence on the part of the Lord to seek and save the lost. In Luke 5:32 Jesus says:  “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Finally look at the conclusion of the parable of the prodigal:   “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.  And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;  but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”   It is not that Jesus prefers the sinner over the righteous. Look what the father says: ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.’  Was it the father’s fault if the son did not enjoy the blessings of living with the Father? All that the father had was his. In the same way, we who are saved should not be angry with God when He lavishes love and abundance on repentant sinners. All that the Father has is already ours. If we are not living in the abundance and blessing of being with Him, is that His fault? All that He has is already ours.  Jesus does not prefer sinners over those who are saved. He came so that we all could know and experience the abundance and the joy of the Father.

Those who believe and tell the lie that Jesus would abide with sinners if He were here today do not fully understand the depth of the love of God and Christ; nor its cost.  God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish. (John 3:16)   God demonstrates His love in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)  If God and Christ preferred to abide with sinners, Jesus would not have needed to suffer and die to redeem us from sin; to save us from our lost state. Heaven still rejoices more over one sinner who repents than over 99 who do not need to repent. Yet all of heaven, the Father and Christ still weep for the many who do not repent. Jesus did not come to hang out with sinners. He came to seek and save the lost so that we all could hang out with the Father. All that the Father has, His abundance and His authority, is ours if we believe. Yet in Luke 10:20, Jesus says:  “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit; I indeed rejoice that because of the cross, because I believe in Christ, my name is written in heaven. Not only that, but I also share in all that You have. You are always with me. May I also share in Your heart and Your desire that none would perish. May I join with You in seeking and saving the lost and may I rejoice with You and all of heaven whenever one who is lost repents and comes home.   Amen.