The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Joy” it comes from the Greek Word “chara” which means “joy, rejoicing.”
Jesus tells three stories in a row, each one about something lost being joyfully found. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is Luke 15.
When Pharisees and scribes grumble that Jesus welcomes and eats with sinners, He responds with three parables. A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to search for the one that is lost, and when he finds it, he calls his friends together to rejoice, since heaven rejoices more over one repenting sinner than over ninety-nine who need no repentance. A woman who loses one of her ten silver coins searches carefully until she finds it, then calls her friends together to celebrate the same way.
The third and longest parable tells of a father with two sons. The younger demands his inheritance early, leaves for a distant country, and wastes everything in reckless living, until a severe famine leaves him feeding pigs and longing to eat their food. Coming to his senses, he decides to return home and beg to be treated as a hired servant. While he is still a great way off, his father sees him, runs to him, and falls on his neck, embracing and kissing him before the son can even finish his rehearsed apology. The father calls for the best robe, a ring, and sandals, and orders a celebration, “for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”
The older brother, hearing the celebration, refuses to go inside, angry that his father never threw him such a party despite his years of faithful service. The father responds with tenderness, reminding him that everything the father has is already his, but that celebrating his brother’s return was simply right, “for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” The Greek word for this celebration and rejoicing, “chara,” appears throughout all three parables.
All three parables end the same way, overflowing joy at something lost being found. The father’s posture toward his returning son, running to meet him before a word of apology is even spoken, remains one of the most vivid pictures of God’s welcome in all of Scripture. Coming home is always met with celebration, not suspicion.
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