Luke 15:1-10 is the Gospel appointed for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Luke. It contains two very familiar parables, the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin. What is interesting is that the "lost ones" (i.e. tax collectors and sinners) are the ones drawn to Jesus, while the religious folk are the ones repelled by him. What is front and center, however, is the divine joy over the redemption of the lost. It will be the preacher's joy to proclaim this divine joy.
(The following questions have been formulated to bring to the fore the way the Word functions in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers. This is important because the way the Word functions in the text is the way the sermon, at least in part, must function. For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available at wipfandstock.com, amazon, or any independent bookstore.)
1. How does the Word function in the text? The primary function of the Word here is to proclaim God's joy over the redemption of the lost. This is, of course, a Gospel function. The Law is present as well, however, as Jesus calls into question the Pharisaic tendency to dismiss as worthless those individuals who do not meet our piety standards.
2. With whom are you identifying in the text? It is usually important to identify with those to whom the Word is directed, in this case, the Pharisees. They are portrayed as those who do not know that 1) God loves all people deeply, aside from their sins, and 2) They themselves are sinners, the lost ones.
3. What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text? The call to obedience here might be implied in that since God leaves out no one, neither should we; we should welcome all to the table.
4. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? Couplets come readily to mind in this text: lost/found; unwelcomed/welcomed; judged/redeemed.
5. Exegetical work: It is important to note the opening verse: "Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him." This indicates that these "undesirables", clearly judged and condemned by the Pharisees, did not feel judged or condemned by Jesus. This is an important contextual note. Joachim Jeremias, in his classic commentary, understands these people in this way: "The term 'sinners' means 1) People who led an immoral life (e.g. adulterers, swindlers...) and 2) People who followed a dishonorable calling (i.e. an occupation which notoriously involved immorality or dishonesty)...For example, excise men, tax collectors, shepherds, donkey-drivers, pedlars, and tanners." (The Parables of Jesus, p.132) Amy-Jill Levine says that in today's economy, these undesirables would be "arms dealers, loansharks, [and] insider traders." (The New Cambridge Bible Commentary, The Gospel of Luke, p.410). David Buttrick observes the excessive celebration present in the parables. Calling in the neighbors upon finding one sheep? One coin?! "Each of the two 'lost' parables strains credulity... An audience would be surprised by both parables. Surprise doubles when a preacher adds, 'Just like God!'" (Speaking Parables; A Homiletic Guide, p.198). Bernard Brandon Scott speaks to this as well: "In the two parables the lost sheep or coin has little intrinsic value. Rather its value is in being found, in the joy of its recovery. In the transition to the larger narrative cycle of Luke 15, the value and joy are in repentance." (Hear Then the Parable; A Commentary on the Parables of Jesus, p.407).
6. How does the Crossings Community model work with this text? There are a number of examples of exegetical work using the Crossings model. Timothy Hoyer's analysis centers on the worth or worthlessness of the lost, showing how Jesus became lost in order that we might be found. Go to crossings.org/text-study to see all the examples.
Blessings on your proclamation!
