I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance

 

 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."  So He spoke this parable to them, saying:  "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'  I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'  Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." 

 

- Luke 15:1-10 

 

Yesterday we read that at this point in Christ's ministry, great multitudes went with Him.  And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- least, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'  Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.  Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 

 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."  My study Bible comments here that fellowship with sinners was considered defiling to pious Jews.  Jesus answers the complaint of the Pharisees and scribes with three parables in this chapter. Two are found in today's reading:  that of the man with the lost sheep, and the woman with the silver coins.  The third will be found in tomorrow's reading, the father of the prodigal (Luke 15:11-32).  Taken together, these three parables are seen as representing Christ, the Church, and God the Father.  St. Ambrose of Milan writes, "Christ carries the sinner, the Church seeks and intercedes, and the Father receives."

So He spoke this parable to them, saying:  "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'  I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."  According to my study Bible, in the patristic spiritual interpretation of this parable, the hundred sheep represent all rational creation.  The one sheep who goes astray is a symbol of humankind.  The ninety-nine represent the angelic realm.  Moreover, my study Bible also comments on the same parable found in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 18:12-14), noting that unlike earthly shepherds, Christ sees such value in one sheep that He will leave the others at risk to save it.  In this interpretation, the ninety-nine sheep represent the righteous who remain faithful to God.

"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'  Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."   My study Bible comments that ten silver coins comprise a single necklace worn by a married woman.  This is a bride, an image of the Church (Ephesians 5:32).  The lost coin (in the Greek of the text, this is a drachma/δραχμή).  It carried the image of the king, symbolizing human beings, who, through bearing the image of God, fell from grace.  Through the Church, Christ enlightens the world, sweeps away sin, and finds His lost creation.  

If we look at today's two parables, they might not make perfect sense in purely material terms.  Would a shepherd leave ninety-nine sheep behind in the wilderness?  Would a woman call her friends and neighbors and have a party because she found a lost silver piece from her necklace?  We could ask ourselves those questions, but the parables are meant to illustrate God's action with regard to "lost" human beings.  In some sense, we are reminded of the story of the Gadarene demoniac, which we read in chapter 8 of Luke's Gospel.  If we look at the context and the full passage (Luke 8:22-39), we'll recall that Jesus sailed with the disciples across a very stormy and windy Sea of Galilee to come to the forsaken place where the demoniac (called "Legion") lived among the tombs.  This, too, is an illustration of the type of actions Jesus reveals in the two parables of today's reading.  These are meant to illustrate God's actions seeking out those who are lost, that they may return to God.  To put it in the context of characteristics of God, we might look at these stories and say that what they illustrate is the power and effect of love.  The rejoicing of the housewife, the willingness to leave at risk the other sheep, the sheer effort and risk taken by Christ and the disciples to effectively create a healing and salvation for the man occupied by a Legion of demons -- all of these things are illustrations of what love does and can do in our lives and in our world.  They illustrate the risks we're willing to take for those whom we love, for what is precious to you beyond material measure.  This is not a question of counting membership numbers in the Church, but of the love of God for those straying from communion with God, and the deep desire of love to return to the union of relationship, and participation in the Kingdom.  If we think about it, God's desire to "save" isn't just about wanting the return of those whom God loves, but also about restoring their place in creation, preserving their souls.   The gift of the Kingdom is far more than simply God desiring something for us; God is perfect within God's own Being.  But the love for us becomes a love that desires what is best for us, what is good for us, preserving and life-giving, and the fullness of life possible for human beings of an eternal nature.  This is the gift of salvation, for which Christ was Incarnate in the world, which His life offered for us.  But these parables illustrate for us the overwhelming love of God, which overshadows all other characteristics and considerations, for God is love.   This is our hope, and it is in this love that we put our faith and trust.  The joy in heaven is an expression of this all-surpassing love.