People are Precious to God

Lk 15:1-10

Welcome.

We’ve been going through a series on Mt 13, but I’m going to take a little break from that and talk about some other parables today.

Funny pictures. Sometimes it’s obvious that something doesn’t “fit.”

Donald Trump at corporate board meeting, thinking about eating at Denny’s

Donavan McNabb, in the middle of a game, wishing he had a facial were at a beauty spa

Dwight, after snowboarding, wishing he could be a ballerina (he decided he’d just marry one)

We sort of have a funny scene in this chapter. Setting:

tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus

tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Roman government, took advantage of their own people, and got very rich in the process: despised by the people, scum: corrupt corporate executives who made a fortune off of ripping of their employees stock options (Enron’s Ken Lay, Andrew Fastow, Tyco’s Dennis Kozlowski)

Jesus hung out with corrupt corporate executives, prostitutes and pimps, some mafia guys; maybe there were a few homeless guys, druggies, gays and lesbians. Not the kind of people pastors usually hang with.

Jesus had a reputation for spending time with “immoral” of this religious society. He was called “a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”

Pharisees, Teachers of the Law

the religious leaders didn’t like this; didn’t Jesus know what kind of people these were?

these were the people they looked down on, these were the problems of society, and Jesus just welcomes them, Jesus teaches them, heals them, ministers to them.

Tension: Why are you spending time with these “sinners”? Moral misfits, the lower class.

They resented these sinners, they looked down on them. They’re not important, they’re not valuable; don’t waste your time on them.

Have you ever felt that way? Why should Jesus care about me? Of all the billions of people in the world, what am I? And I’ve made a few too many mistakes, I’m pretty messed up inside. My parents or teachers or friends don’t think I’m anyone special, why should God? I’m sure He’s far too busy with running the universe to care about the likes of me.

Jesus responds to their attitudes with some stories.

Suppose a rancher had 100 horses, but one of them got lost. What do you think he did? He left the 99 and went out looking for that one lost horse, and when he found it, he gave it a big pat. When he got back to the ranch, he said, “Hey everybody, I found ol’ Betsy. Look e here. ‘Ol Betsy, that silly horse. We got her back.” Maybe he passed out beers for everyone and just looked at his horse. And everyone could tell how happy the rancher was to have found ol Betsy.

Jesus says, even more than the joy of that rancher, heaven rejoices when one sinner repents and comes home.

Suppose a woman has 10 pairs of gold or platinum earrings. One day she realizes one pair is missing. What do you think she did? She went combed through her bedroom with a fine tooth comb, she dug through all her dressers, the laundry, the medicine cabinet, under the bed; she searched every pocket of every shirt and pants. Finally she found hidden in the cushions of her sofa, and when she did, she immediately called her friends on the phone, “O my god, I thought I was going to die, but I found it, I found my lost earrings.”

Jesus says, that’s what heaven is like when one sinner repents and comes home.

We all know the joy of recovering something we had lost.

A couple months ago I was looking for my cell phone. I couldn’t find my cell phone. And then it hit me, that I might have left it in my pants pocket, but I had just thrown those pants into the laundry. I ran down to the basement, fished out my pants and I was both happy and horrified to find my phone in the pocket. After I let it dry out, I nervously tried it out, and to my amazement, it worked. I was so happy! I fully endorse Samsung phones. =)

I’m reminded of a true story of someone who was going to propose to his fiancé (in Chicago). He reached for the ring to pop the question, when he realized he couldn’t find it. He frantically searched all his pockets but he couldn’t find it. For the next couple hours the couple is searching through the white, glistening Chicago snow, and . . . actually, they didn’t find it. But you can imagine how happy he would’ve been if he did!

The parables make a simple point: people are precious to God.

More specifically, to these religious leaders, Jesus was saying, These tax collectors and sinners whom you disregard, whom you don’t respect, don’t value, they are precious to God.

See how diligently He searches.

The rancher goes out into the open country to find ol Betsy.

The woman tears her house apart to find that earring pair.

The picture is not God is sitting up in heaven on his throne, being served by all his angels, waiting to see if anyone wants to come to him.

The picture is not people are trying to go to heaven, and God is indifferent or hyper-selective on whom he lets in.

Rather, the picture is that God is running through the country side, God is on his hands and knees crawling over the floor.

The picture is not that we are running after God, but that God is running after us. And so he leaves his glory above, becomes a man and lives among us. He goes through the country side healing and teaching; he spends time with common people, even the downcast and despised. He is on a mission to seek and save the lost.

Ultimately, he went to the cross and laid his life down.

Jesus was not passive or casual about finding his lost sheep or lost coins. Jesus was literally laid down his life to find us, to bring us home. People are precious to God.

See how much joy He has when He finds us.

When he finds it, he is happy, rejoices

He wanted to find us so much, that when he does, there is JOY

This seems to be the thrust of the parables

v. 6-7 “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep; I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous who do not need to repent.”

v. 9-10 “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin; I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

v.32 “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

The Finder is happy. 3 parables make the same point: the joy which is experienced by a person who recovers what he has lost. God’s joy!

How much do people matter to God? He so excited, God dances and celebrates when he finds you and brings you home.

Sometimes as parents you get a little paranoid. I remember taking the boys to a mall or 30^th Street station. We walk around and keep them occupied. But on occasion, it would cross my mind, what if I turn away for a moment, and then when I turn back, I can’t find them. What would I do? I picture myself yelling, running, going crazy. What would I do?

I can’t imagine what some parents are going through in New Orleans and that area. If you lost your kid, not knowing whether he or she were dead or alive. I understand there are over 2000 missing children. You can be sure the parents, as much as they’re able, are searching stadiums after shelters after hospital after bulletin boards to find their children. They’re posting up pictures, they’re asking anybody they meeting.

And then when they find them! Imagine the joy, the explosive, tear-filled, let’s-throw-a-party joy they’d have!

God says, You’re getting closer. That’s a taste of the kind of joy I have when one sinner repents!

It’s a little humbling to think that God is emotionally involved with people.

In fact, God says, I’m deeply emotionally involved. Greater than getting a big bonus at work, a med school acceptance letter, an Eagles superbowl victory, a wedding, God says there is more joy in heaven when one sinner repents.

What is Jesus saying to the Pharisees and tax collectors

These guys are valuable to me. I’ll come down from heaven to seek and save them. And you don’t know how much heaven celebrates when even one of them repents.

See how 99 isn’t enough.

When Jesus tells these stories, it seems most of the audience would not be surprised by the action of the shepherd or the women. “Does he not leave the 99. . . Does she not light a lamp . .” meaning, isn’t that what you’d do too?

Maybe it’d be like saying, if a family had 5 children and one of them is lost, would any parent say, well, at least we have 4, I think that’s enough. Would he not go and do everything he can to find that lost child?

In fact, Jesus then continues and tells a story of a father with 2 sons, and one is lost. The family doesn’t say, well, at least I have the other son.

We value sheep, money, children. We wouldn’t settle for finding some of our children, we’d want each and every. God isn’t any less loving.

God is not satisfied with 99. Each sheep is precious, even one.

God doesn’t stop at 99. He doesn’t say 99 is good enough. He diligently searches until the last one is found.

99 isn’t enough. Each and every sheep is worth the search and the joy. There may be millions of believers already, but God is still searching for his lost sheep; He’s not done, because each of them are precious to God.

A couple weeks ago we heard Kathy’s testimony of how God turned her angry and protective heart to a healed, loving heart. To many of us, she’s just one of hundreds of people at Emmanuel, one of millions of people in Philadelphia. But to God, she’s a special story, and heaven rejoiced.

There are a few things I think we should point out.

Sometimes we forget that all people are precious.

We take people for granted. Instead we value career, success, money. But the Biblical perspective is that all our careers, success and money will come to an end, but souls are forever. God is concerned about souls. They matter to God, and they should matter to us.

“I’ve never laid eyes on anyone who didn’t matter to God.”

I had a conference in Omaha this past week and stayed at a motel. The motel had a shuttle service from the airport, and being the only one on the bus, I got to talk with the driver a little. Charlie. He later drove me into town and pointed me to some restaurants. He’s soft-spoken older guy, been in Omaha about 10 years. Charlie matters to God.

He took me to a restaurant where my waitress seemed a bit nervous. I later found out she was “in training.” I guess I wanted to encourage her so I left a bigger tip than usual. Shauna matters to God.

It’s not that we don’t know some people are precious. It’s not that the Pharisees didn’t value some people—I’m sure they did. But they didn’t value all people—there were certain kinds of people they disregarded, looked down on. And Jesus confronted them, that these people matter to God too.

If we’re honest with ourselves, there are people we probably don’t value very much. I’d like to you honest acknowledge who those people might be for you, perhaps based on ethnicity, education, kind of profession. Perhaps it’s the gay community, or the poor or homeless, or Muslims, or Republicans or Democrats.

God is saying, those people matter to me too.

There is a heart that values people, all kinds of people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, or profession. One pastor calls it “radical inclusivity.”

There is a purpose to this valuing of people: Jesus wants people to be found. And what does that mean?

Notice the transition, this is how heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents. He is seeking them out so that they might repent of their sins and turn to Him.

The Bible says that we’re all sinners. We all have greed, selfishness, pride, jealousy. We all make excuses, shift the blame, play the victim. We don’t really love others as much as we love ourselves.

And because of our sinfulness, there is punishment. We’re not in a good situation. The Bible says, “for the wages of sin is death.”

But we believe Jesus came to take our sins, to take our punishment. He died on the cross in our place.

We are precious enough to God that He didn’t leave us in our sin and guilt, but He sought us out. What does it mean to be found?

It means you say, “I’ve sinned, I messed up. I don’t deserve it, but I need to be forgiven. I believe Jesus cares for me. I believe Jesus sacrificed Himself for me on the cross for my sins. He took my punishment. I’m clinging to Jesus, that because He took my punishment, I believe I can find forgiveness, acceptance and love.”

Then heaven throws a party and rejoices, that another lost sheep has been found.

To Christians, I believe Jesus wanted to say, I rejoiced over you the day you repented, they day I found you. We had a great party over you.

But there are others still. These people are precious to God, and they should be precious to you. Let’s not be too comfortable with the 99 others around. Your Father is still searching for the others who are lost. And we’re invited to participate in the search/mission.

Tony Campolo has to fly to Hawaii to speak at a conference. He checks in at his hotel and tries to get some sleep. Unfortunately, at 3 am, his internal clock says its 9 am. The night is dark, the streets are silent, the world is calm, but Tony Campolo is wide awake, and his stomach is growling.

He gets up and wanders out into the quiet streets, looking for a place to get some breakfast. Everything is closed, except for a greasy dive in a narrow alley. The place reeks with dirt and grunge. Tony’s even afraid to touch the menu.

The guy behind the counter says ‘What d’you want?’ Somehow Tony isn’t so hungry any more. He sees a stack of doughnuts under a plastic cover. ‘I’ll have a doughnut and coffee,’ he says. That ought to be safe.

Then the door swings open. In walk eight or nine prostitutes, just finished with a night’s work. The place is small, and they all walk up to the counter. Suddenly Tony is surrounded by loud-talking prostitutes, smoking and swearing. He gulps at his coffee, hurrying to get away.

The woman next to him turns to her friend and says, ‘You know what? Tomorrow’s my birthday! I’m going to be 39. . .’

Her ‘friend’ gets real nasty. ‘So, what do you want d’ya want from me?’ she sneers, ‘A birthday party? Ya want me to get you a cake that says Happy Birthday on it?’

The first woman says, ‘Aw, come on! Why do you have to be so mean? I was just tellin’ you, that’s all. Why do ya have to put me down? I don’t want anything from you. I mean, why should you give me a birthday party? I’ve never had a birthday party in my whole life. Why should I have one now?’

Tony gets to thinking. He stays till the women have left. Then he says to the fellow behind the counter, ‘Do they come in here every night?’

‘Yep,’ says the man.

Tony says, ‘The one who was sitting here - does she come here every night?’

‘Sure,’ says the man. ‘That’s Agnes. She’s been coming here for years.

‘Well,’ says Tony, ‘She just said it was her birthday tomorrow. What do you think? You think you and I could maybe throw her a birthday party right here tomorrow night?’

The man gets a cute smile on his chubby cheeks. ‘That’s great!’ he says. ‘That’s great!’

He turns around to the window into the kitchen, and shouts to his wife, who’s doing the cooking: ‘Hey, Come out here! This guy’s got a great idea. Tomorrow’s Agnes’ birthday. Wants us to go in with him and throw a party for her right here tomorrow night.

His wife comes out from the back. “That’s wonderful!’ she says, ‘You know, Agnes is really a nice person. She’s always trying to help other people. And nobody ever does anything nice for her!’

So they make their plans. Tony says he’ll get a cake and decorations and be back at 2:30 the next morning. But the man in the greasy apron, whose name turns out to be Harry, insists he’ll make the cake.

At 2:30 the next morning, Tony’s back. He’s brings some crepe paper decorations and a large poster that says: Happy Birthday, Agnes. By 3 o’clock, the diner’s looking pretty good. By 3:15 it’s crowded with wall-to-wall prostitutes. Harry’s wife got the word out on the streets and it seems as if every prostitute in Honolulu was there!

At 3:30 the door swings open, and in walks Agnes and her friend. Tony has everyone ready. They all shout, ‘Happy Birthday, Agnes!’ And she’s flabbergasted! Her mouth drops open; her legs wobble; she puts her hands to her head and almost falls over, stunned. Her friend grabs her by the arm and leads her to the corner, where the birthday cake awaits. The room is exploding with a chorus of Happy Birthday to you.

Now she’s crying. She sees the cake with all the candles, and Harry, who’s not used to seeing a prostitute cry, says rather gruffly, ‘Blow out the candles, Agnes. If you don’t blow ‘em out, I’ll have to do it!’

So Agnes composes herself, and she blows them out. Everyone cheers.

‘Cut the cake, Agnes! Cut the cake!’

But Agnes looks down at the cake and, without taking her eyes off it, says to Harry, ‘Look, Harry, would it be alright with you, if I ... I mean, is it okay if I ... do you think it’d be okay if I just kept the cake for a little while? Is it alright with you if we don’t eat it right away?’

Harry doesn’t know what to say. He just shrugs and says, ‘Sure, if that’s what you want to do. Keep the cake. Take it home, if you want to!’

Agnes turns to Tony. She says, ‘Is it okay? I live just down the street. Can I take the cake home for a minute? I’ll be right back! Honest!’

Agnes picks up the cake like it was the Holy Grail. Slowly she marches through the room with it high in front of her for everyone to see. She carried her treasure out the door, and everyone in the room watches in stunned silence. And when she’s gone, nobody seems to know what to do. So Tony gets up on a chair and says, ‘What do you say we pray?’

And there they are, in a hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon, all the prostitutes of Honolulu’s streets, at 3:30 am, and Tony prays for Agnes, for her life, her health, her soul, her relationship with God.

When he’s finished praying, Harry leans over the counter, ‘Hey!’, he says, ‘You never told me you was a preacher! What kind of church do you belong to anyway?’

Tony says, ‘I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning!’

Harry thinks about that for a minute. Then he says, “No, you don’t! There ain’t no church like that! If there was, I’d join it! Yessir! I’d join a church like that!’

Emmanuel, don’t we want to be a church like that. People are precious, all kinds of people. Perhaps we could have a “radical inclusivity” that embraces people, regardless of race/ethnicity, profession, socio-economic class or education level. Perhaps we could see that all these people matter to God.

And to those who are on a spiritual journey, this is the Jesus we have, a God who throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning. Jesus had a reputation for hanging out with the prostitutes of his day; he didn’t give them birthday cakes, he gave them his life. This is a Jesus who values all kinds of people and gave his life to pay for their sins and make them Citizens of His Heavenly Kingdom. We pray that you’ll find him, only to discover, that he’s been searching for you.