luke 15???

[ronee]

question:
luke 15 what do the 99 sheep, the 9 coins and the son who stayed with the father represent? Steve Gregg or any other bible learner/teacher...
i attempt to answer, my own question?
o.k.? then am i safe to use vs.1 to interpret the 99, 9, and brother in field as the scribes and pharisee's and the sheep, coin, and... wasteful brother as the publicans and sinners?then the vs. about the sheep being righteous and not in need of repentence would have to mean... "in their own eyes" again ...no good commentary and your teaching is not as clear as i need on this .... help!!!
what do you think...???

[ronee]

no help? or am i confusing with the way i phrase the question? not steve...i got your response on fb...everyone else

[steve]

Hi Ronee,

Maybe you are looking for something too deep beneath the surface. You are right to see the lost objects as referring to lost people (prostitutes and publicans). This is the only meaning the context will allow. There may be no meaning deeper than that which I am sure you are already seeing, namely, that God rejoices at the recovery of lost persons as anyone rejoices at the finding of a lost and valued object. I don't think there is any deeper meaning intended.

[ronee]

steve, he tells 3 parables based on vs 1...i see how the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the 1 lost son would rep the tax collectors and sinners...but i just do not see how the 99, the 9, and the other lost son...do not rep israel or the religious israel...the pharisees and scribes??? because of this...why would a sheperd leave 99 in open pasture...and why would he leave righteous and repentant persons in open pastures...i am still reading it that He came unto His own...and...and that they believed they were righteous and repentant...but only because...i cannot fit the pieces together otherwise...if i teach it this way...i will say it is my thinking and why...but i cannot know for sure...

[steve]

You may teach it that way, if it commends itself to you. I still think you are trying to get more detailed than the parables require you to go. The idea was that the Pharisees did not see any value in the tax-collectors and prostitutes who were coming to Christ, whereas, as Jesus was pointing out in the parables, they were valued sheep and sons returning to the family—and that this should be a cause for rejoicing, not criticism.

[ronee]

it still does not fit with "leaving the 99 in no need of repentance alone in the wilderness, pasture, desert, whatever" and since the older brother is representative of the pharisee's and scribes...why not the 99 and 9? especially when it fits the whole entire puzzle neatly together...of course vs 7 would have to read more like ...who thought they were righteous and in need of repentance? i am going to have scott look up that vs in the interlinear when he wakes up

[Jason]

Hi, Ronee. I think parables generally have one main point to get across and are different, in form, from their literary cousin - the allegory.

[ronee]

the 2 verses that unfold for me when i see the 99, 9, and older son as the "religious leaders" are vs.1 and vs.7 of luke 15...i taught it this way...with good result

[ronee]

and i think the point is (bible not in view) john 1:11,12 and He came unto His own...