This week is parable number 29 found in Luke 15:3 – 7, but again reading and discussing the two verses before is helpful. If you recall parable 26 and 27, Jesus had just described heaven as a banquet for the poor, crippled, blind and lame. He had just told the rich banquet hosts to invite such people to their feasts, not seeking repayment. Naturally, such people found Jesus and his teaching attractive. They wanted to hear more and to see what Jesus would do for them.
Meanwhile, the religious experts and leaders also maintained their watch, hoping to trap Jesus. They continually questioned him: Why do you associate with these kinds of people? Do you know their reputation? They will ruin you. Get away from them. You are becoming unclean. But Jesus associated with sinners because he they recognized their need for salvation and would respond, bringing joy to heaven.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Before going to the questions, an observation. In traditional Roman Catholic Bibles (especially before 1920), verse 7 is translated as: “I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that does penance more than upon ninety-nine just who do not need penance. The difference of doing penance (earning forgiveness and salvation) rather than repenting (accepting God’s gift of forgiveness) is quite dramatic. Salvation cannot be earned and that is the Jews main stumbling block and they rely on the Mosaic Law for their salvation.
In this parable, Jesus compares the flock of 99 who were not lost with righteous people who do not need to repent. Actually, the word “righteous” means “right with God,” which means those people who have already repented and received forgiveness and mercy from God. No one is totally free from sin—at some point everyone must repent and be born again, but even after being born again, being accepted by God and receiving eternal salvation from him, we still should continue to repent of our sins and ask God to continue forgiving us as we all still sin and are growing, never to fully mature in Christ until our glorification.
The lost sheep in the parable is the lost sinner who has not already repented. Or it might possibly even be one who had been born again and then deliberately turned his back on the Lord. Note the difference between this and the other lost sheep parables—there are several reasons that a person may not be part of the kingdom of God.
Now I pray that my blog is seen by many who may have a different idea of what is sin so I want to discuss how others may view as to what is sin. Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral rule or one of God’s laws. Commonly, the moral code of conduct is decreed by a divine entity.
Sin is often used to mean an action that is prohibited or considered wrong; in some religions (notably some sects of Christianity), sin can even refer to a state of mind rather than a specific action. Any thought, word, or act considered immoral, shameful, harmful, or alienating might be termed “sinful.”
In Biblical Christianity, sin is portrayed as not following God’s moral guidance, based on the account of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis. They disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which gave them the ability to judge and know good from evil for themselves. The moment Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree, which God had commanded them not to do, sinful death was born; it was an act of disobedience, thinking they could become like gods, that was the sin. However, because Eve was deceived, while Adam was not, it is usually believed that Adam held the greatest responsibility for the evil that took place, for which reason the Fall of man is referred to as the “sin of Adam.”
The Greek word in the New Testament that is translated in English as “sin” is hamartia, which literally means missing the target. 1 John 3:4 states: “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” Jesus clarified the law by defining its foundation: “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
Roman Catholic doctrine distinguishes between personal sin (also sometimes called “actual sin”) and original sin. Personal sins are either mortal or venial.
Mortal sins are sins of grave (serious) matter, where the sinner is fully aware that the act (commission or omission) is both a sin and a grave matter, and performs the act (or omission) with fully deliberate consent. The act of committing a mortal sin cuts off the sinner from God’s grace; it is in itself a rejection of God.
Venial sins are sins which do not meet the conditions for mortal sins. The act of committing a venial sin does not cut off the sinner from God’s grace, as the sinner has not rejected God. However, venial sins do injure the relationship between the sinner and God, and as such, must be reconciled to God, either through the Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation (commonly called confession) or, in the case of lesser sins, receiving the Eucharist (Communion or the Lord’s Supper).
Judaism regards the violation of the divine commandments to be a sin. Judaism teaches that sin is an act, and not a state of being. Humankind was not created with an inclination to do evil, but has that inclination “from his youth” (Genesis 8:21). People do have the ability to master this inclination (Genesis 4:7) and choose good over evil (conscience) (Psalm 37:27). Judaism describes three levels of sin. The first and most serious one is someone who sins intentionally. The second is one who commits a sin by accident. The third category is someone who was raised in an environment that was assimilated or non-Jewish, and is not aware of the proper Jewish laws. This person is not held accountable for his or her actions.
Islam sees sin as anything that goes against the will of Allah (God). Islam teaches that sin is an act and not a state of being.
Buddhism does not recognize the idea behind sin because in Buddhism, instead, there is a “Cause-Effect Theory.” known as Karma, or action. In general, Buddhism illustrates intentions as the cause of Karma, either good, bad, or neutral.
In Hinduism, the term sin is often used to describe actions that create negative karma by violating moral and ethical codes.
This parable it says that tax collectors and sinners were gathered around Jesus to listen to him. But the Pharisees and Jewish teachers of the law were muttering about that. These religious leaders were always careful to stay “clean” according to Old Testament law. In fact, they often went well beyond the law in their avoidance of certain people and in their ritual washings. In contrast, Jesus took this idea of “cleanliness” lightly. He touched those who had unclean diseases, he neglected to wash in the ritualistic way, and he associated with rejected people. He came to offer salvation to sinners, to show that God loves them, and didn’t worry about the Jews’ accusations.
Jesus’ parables, at first meant to reveal the mysteries of God’s kingdom to the disciples and to conceal them to the crowds, have now become tools to teach the opponents. This parable retains its character as a story, but it is placed in the interrogative mood. The listeners become participants, characters in the story, and must choose a course of action. The story turns the self-righteous, ritually clean scribes and Pharisees into dirty shepherds involved in an occupation that constantly makes them unclean. The rabbis regarded the shepherds, along with gamblers, tax collectors, camel drivers and sailors as despised, evil thieving occupations.
As a shepherd, you care for one hundred sheep. One night one lone sheep wandered from the fold. When it comes time to count the sheep, you find one missing. What do you do? You leave the ninety-nine to fend for themselves in the relative safety of the open field and begin an immediate search-and-rescue mission for the lost sheep. Having found the sheep, what do you do? Party! Celebrate! Rejoice! Gather all your friends and neighbors and share the good news with them.
That is what heaven is like. Ninety-nine self-righteous people who keep all the rituals, festivals, and rules bring no joy to heaven. One sinner confessing their sin and repenting sets off party time in heaven. God is concerned about the lost who will admit they are lost and turn back to him. He wants people to put the sinful life behind them and to follow him. Pharisees never do this. Why? They never realize they are lost! They always count themselves among the saved, even though they never repented of their sins. Start the party today. Repent of your sins and be saved!