Our text for this lesson reveals the love and compassion of Jesus. This is portrayed as the shepherd’s seeking his one lost sheep and the woman’s searching for her lost coin. It brings out the helplessness of some who are lost, as well as the needs of those who are lost and do not realize it. Jesus is seeking for both. He gave these parables to the scribes and Pharisees to show how much He loves and values even one soul, and to show the joy in Heaven when a sinner repents.
QUESTIONS
- The scribes and Pharisees complained, saying that Jesus received sinners and ate with them. Why was this complaint inappropriate?
- Who were the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-7)? In what way did they fall short of Jesus’ expectations of them?
- In what respect are we all like sheep who have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6)? Explain your answer.
- Who rejoices when a sinner is saved?
- Think of your concern for a loved one who is unsaved, and list several things you could do to help bring that one to the Lord. How is the value of a lost soul shown in the parable of the Lost Coin?
- How does the woman’s reaction to finding her lost coin, coincide with the words of Christ in Luke 5:32?
- Describe the differences in the awareness of the sheep and the coin in regard to their lost condition.
- What is repentance? See 2 Corinthians 7:10.
THEME THOUGHTS
Jesus, the greatest of all teachers, often chose to instruct His followers by means of parables—making a comparison between earthly things with which people are familiar, and spiritual things with which they are not so familiar. The Scriptures teach that there is a striking analogy between the natural and the spiritual. Therefore, Christ’s parables were not riddles; they were intended to reveal truth to those who love Him. He told His disciples that it was given unto them to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. But to those who loved darkness rather than light, the meanings of the parables were hidden. Matthew 13:10-15The parables recorded in the Gospel of Luke are remarkable for their simplicity. Jesus sought to put the truth in a form that would bring it within the grasp of man’s finite mind. And we read that “the common people heard him gladly.”In this quarter we will focus on eleven of the parables given by Jesus as recorded by Luke, a writer who emphasized Christ’s sympathetic attitude toward the poor, the lowly, and the outcast. The objective for each lesson indicates the point the parable makes relative to our lives today. The Christmas lesson features the account of Christ’s birth as given by Luke. The final lesson of this quarter will be an overview or summary of the material covered during the preceding weeks. May God bless you as we study these lessons together.