Charles Haddon Spurgeon commenting on Luke 15: "In each parable something that was lost has been restored. We see the longsuffering father, effusive with joy and love upon the return and restoration of his long lost son."

Hello, Friday it's been what? Seven days since we visited. Good to see you on this day, July 24, 2026. Thank you, Lord, for allowing Friday to show up.  And I do welcome each one to our daily time to do what I used to see those guys doing who sat outside the barber shop back home, under the shade trees; they were shooting the breeze, bumping their gums, and telling their tales. I admit it. I do a whole lot of that here on my electronic page. I do. I really do. I grew up around storytellers. Did you? Hearing about the exploits of my granddad, my uncles, the town tellers, my schoolmates, my pastors, my teachers, and so many others- those stories helped me to understand and enjoy the life granted to me. Jesus was the greatest at telling stories that illustrated the truths He shared while He walked here on earth. He told stories about planting seeds, about weeds, even one about a tiny mustard seed. He enthralled His audiences with illustrations concerning God's Kingdom. Different scholars might count them up and come up with different numbers, but there's no denying how His stories perfectly illustrated truths that penetrated the hearts of men, women, boys, and girls. You can look them up and read them. That's right. The stories, or parables as they are called, are found in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Reading them is well worth our time. It is. It really is.

 

I am trying to determine which stories to share as told by our Savior. That's somewhat difficult because there are so many to choose from. I think I'm going to go with the parables Jesus used to illustrate how He came to seek and save those who are lost, those who have strayed, and those who need His provision. These reflect on what the verse, 'God so loved' is all about. It is a rather long chapter, but it speaks to me. I chose to share it in a modern language translation.

 

 Luke 15 ~ New Testament for Everyone ~ The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin

All the tax-collectors and sinners were coming close to listen to Jesus.  The Pharisees and the legal experts were grumbling. “This fellow welcomes sinners!” they said. “He even eats with them!”  So Jesus told them this parable.  “Supposing one of you has a hundred sheep,” he said, “and you lose one of them. What will you do? Why, you’ll leave the ninety-nine out in the countryside, and you’ll go off looking for the lost one until you find it! And when you find it, you’ll be so happy—you’ll put it on your shoulders and come home, and you’ll call your friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ you’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad they will be in heaven over one sinner who repents—more than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
 

“Or supposing a woman has ten drachmas and loses one of them. What will she do? Why, she’ll light a lamp, and sweep the house, and hunt carefully until she finds it! And when she finds it she’ll call her friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ she’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost coin!’ “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad God’s angels feel when a single sinner repents.”
 

The parable of the Prodigal: the father and the younger son

 

Jesus went on: “Once there was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to the father, ‘Father, give me my share in the property.’ So he divided up his livelihood between them. Not many days later the younger son turned his share into cash, and set off for a country far away, where he spent his share in having a riotous good time. “When he had spent it all, a severe famine came on that country, and he found himself destitute. So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into the fields to feed his pigs.  He longed to satisfy his hunger with the pods that the pigs were eating, and nobody gave him anything. “He came to his senses. ‘Just think!’ he said to himself. ‘There are all my father’s hired hands with plenty to eat—and here am I, starving to death! I shall get up and go to my father, and I’ll say to him: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;  I don’t deserve to be called your son any longer. Make me like one of your hired hands.” ’And he got up and went to his father.“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and his heart was stirred with love and pity. He ran to him, hugged him tight, and kissed him. ‘Father,’ the son began, ‘I have sinned against heaven and before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son any longer.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him! Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet! And bring the calf that we’ve fattened up, kill it, and let’s eat and have a party! This son of mine was dead, and is alive again! He was lost, and now he’s found!’ And they began to celebrate.”
 

The parable of the Prodigal: the father and the older son

 

“The older son was out in the fields. When he came home, and got near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. “ ‘Your brother’s come home!’ he said. ‘And your father has thrown a great party—he’s killed the fattened calf!—because he’s got him back safe and well!’ “He flew into a rage, and wouldn’t go in. “Then his father came out and pleaded with him. ‘Look here!’ he said to his father, ‘I’ve been slaving for you all these years! I’ve never disobeyed a single commandment of yours. And you never even gave me a young goat so I could have a party with my friends. But when this son of yours comes home, :once he’s finished gobbling up your livelihood with his whores, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ‘My son,’ he replied, ‘you’re always with me. Everything I have belongs to you. 32 But we had to celebrate and be happy! This brother of yours was dead and is alive again! He was lost, and now he’s found!’ ”

 

All I can say in response to these precious illustrations: "Thank you, Lord, for seeing my need and searching me out so that I could be rescued by You."  I'm not going to try to improve upon the words spoken by our Savior. Let Him speak to you is my prayer. Amen.