But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:22–24)

In Luke chapter 15, Jesus has departed from the Pharisee’s house and continued His journey toward Jerusalem. In chapter 14, Luke concluded the major section on what it means to truly follow Jesus. Now, the focus is on the what true service in the Kingdom of God looks like.

Luke 15 begins with a crowd of tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees, and scribes surrounding Jesus to hear His teaching. What a sight that must have been! The teachings of Jesus were so compelling that they drew people from all walks of life together to hear what He had to say.

Luke mentions four groups in the crowd, the first being “tax collectors.” In ancient Roman provinces, Rome contracted with wealthy locals to levy tolls and tariffs.¹ These wealthy locals hired day laborers to collect the taxes.² The contractors had great freedom in how they conducted business, leaving many opportunities for corruption and fraud.³ Because of such practices, tax collectors were viewed as greedy and disloyal by their fellow countrymen.

The second group Luke mentions is “sinners.” This was a generic term for those who for various reasons—including illness, infirmity, and sinful living—were viewed as ritually unrighteous.⁴ They had low social status and were looked down on by the religious elite.⁵

The Pharisees and scribes—religious elites—complained against Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. Sharing a meal with someone in the ancient world was more than a gesture of hospitality—it was a show of friendship.⁶ By dining with “sinners,” Jesus was welcoming them into fellowship with Him. This pattern of Jesus’ earthly ministry (e.g., Luke 5:29–31) was a violation of the traditions of the religious leaders.

Jesus responds to their complaints with three parables about finding the lost. The first, an agricultural illustration, relates the Kingdom to a shepherd who leaves his flock grazing securely in search of the one that strayed away. The main idea is obvious—Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is not satisfied to leave unbelievers estranged from God. Therefore, Jesus searches out unbelievers, and His true friends rejoice when they come to repentance.

The second parable, a household illustration, relates the Kingdom to a woman who, having lost a coin, carefully searches her residence until she finds it. This parable places the emphasis on the Lord’s valuation of those estranged from God. God views every soul as worth searching out for salvation. Therefore, Jesus searches out unbelievers, and His true friends rejoice when they come to repentance.

The third parable, a familial illustration, drives the point home. Jesus relates the Kingdom to a wealthy father whose son rejects him, squanders his livelihood with worldly living, then returns home. This longer parable ties many theological threads together—our loving God, our fallen tendency to reject God, and the Kingdom rejoicing when sinners come to repentance.

This third parable has an interesting detail with no parallel in the preceding two: the older brother does not rejoice when his wayward brother returns. Why? Because he does not share the Father’s heart. His concern is the Father’s wealth and his own inheritance, not the Father’s heart for His lost son. This is Jesus’ rebuke against the Pharisees and scribes who were complaining—they are not true members of the Kingdom because they do not share God’s heart for the lost.

True service in God’s Kingdom begins with sharing God’s heart for the lost. Christianity is not about living “rightly” while ridiculing the ungodly. We have a God-given mission—making disciples of Christ among the nations (Matt 28:16–20). And a God-given vision—that God be glorified by worship from of members of every tribe, tongue, people and nation (Rev 5:9). Our right-living is to be a light that puts the spotlight on God, drawing others to Him (Matt 5:16).

Do you want to serve God well? Ask Him to give you a heart for the lost, a passion for helping other follow Jesus, and to show you where you fit into His vision and mission for bringing salvation to world.

Notes

1. Anthony J. Saldarini and Mark Allan Powell, “Tax Collectors,” in The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated), ed. Mark Allan Powell (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), 1012. Logos Bible Software.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997), 570. Logos Bible Software.
5. Ibid.
6. James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, The Pillar New Testament Commentary,  ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI; Eerdmans 2015), 433. Logos Bible Software.