The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-04-21
LESSON FOR APRIL 26
THE LOST SHEEP AND THE LOST
COIN.

COIN.
LESSON TExT-Luke 15:1-10.
GOLDEN TEXT Even so, say unto
you. there is joy in the presence of the
angels OF God over one sinner that re-
penteth.'' Luke 1910.
come to that chapter in the Bible
which contains three of the more
celebrated parallels of our Lord. In
last weeks lesson we had set before
us the severe terms of discipleship
laid down by Jesus to the multitude
which followed him as he left the
house of the Pharisee. The writer,
Luke, makes close connection be-
tween the final admonition about
"ears to hear" in chapter IA and
verse 1 of this lesson. Jesus had
sifted the crowd though he had left
the door open to himself, for he was
seeking those who were prepared to
share with him in his enterprises Of
building and of conflict, If they could
bear his teaching. This is responded
to by those outcast ones, the publicans
and the sinners. They had no
righteousness of their own, no spirit
ual hope centered in themselves and
they turned eagerly to one who was
unqualifiedly honest with them though
at the same time he set up heart
searching conditions. What a con-
trast! The grumbling theologians,
Arffi ai1 hi01yor-inor hot
he should demean himself by such
associates. In reply, Jesus shows
them the truth Of the fundamental
purpose of Gods attitude toward these
who eagerly sought to hear" by CIV
ing them these parallels. In the first
divine love seeking the sinner; in the
third, the prodigal, we see the sinner
seeking the father Christ's idea Of
goodness consists in saving the bad.
The Pharisee holds aloof. Christ goes
out from among the Pharisees and
among the outcasts.
True and False Shepherds.
II. The Lost Sheep, w. 4-7-The
shepherd is God the son (John 1911,
II; Luke 1910. He is the True
Shepherd" the Pharisees were false
ones. This adds point to the parable;
see the Old Testament rebukes for the
same, Ez. 34:7-10; Zech. 11:16-17; Jer.
50:6. The lost sheep belongs to the
fold, but was out of place. These
outcast ones were still Israelites and
the backsliding Christian still belongs
to the fold. A sinner is lost sheep.
He is away from the care, the protec-
ton, the guidance of the shepherd and
is torn, bleeding, and ready to die. -
One such lost one will call forth the
shepherds utmost endeavor to save it,
far beyond the care lavished upon
the ninety-and-nine already safe in the
fold. This means labor, toll, and pri-
walton, and he keeps up the search
until he finds it," This does not
mean that all will be saved, see John
17:2, IL R. v, but every sheep" that
is astray he will find. Once found it
rests upon his shoulders, is kept by
his power, Pet. 1:5. Over it he and
the father rejoice, w. %, "a, 80.
There is here the evidence of the in
terest in the flock which is incom-
plete and the interest of the owner
as well. The safety of the, lost one
depended upon the shepherds interest.
Work of Holy Spirit.
III. The Lost Coin, Wv. 9-1o-These
three parallels are a unit inothe fact
that they reveal the attitude of God
toward men who are in their deepest
need. Each is the story of something
being lost and the fact that it is
found. The first is.a revelation of the
son, the last of the father, while this
central one sets forth the work of
the holy spirit through the church.
Rev. 22:1E Elph. 5:25. One of ten
coins in this y7oman's marriage neck
lace is lost, hence the incompleteness.
The spirit will not rest until it is
found, nor should the church. The
woman takes her lamp-the word of
God, Ps. 119: los; Phil. 2:15, .16-and
sweeps the house. 1t has been sug-
gested that sweeping usually stirs up
a dust and that some are likely to
object. So the world will object when
the church of the living God begins to
stir up a dust and they are annoyed
at any eager search for the lost ones,
Acts 1876. The woman is a sugges-
ton to US in that she sought dill
gently" until the lost coin was found.
Then she, too, calls in her neighbors
that they may rejoice with her. Does
the church keep up a like search?
And do we know anything about the
10Y of the holy spirit? Gal. 5:22,
/ Thess. 49,. Over the wellbeing of
the home the woman watches and
again the search Is in the interest of
the owner, and in the interest of the
household
w. summary.-The chief value of
these two pictures is In their, revela-
ton of the work and interest of the
SOC of the spirit. The crowding null
titude of publicans and sinners, held
in contempt by the Pharisees, Jesus
viewed as lost ones. Appalling as
this suggestion is, yet the sheep be-
longed to the shepherd and the coin
was the property of the woman. This
suggests the dignity and value of men
and the tragedy of their condition.
Knowing all this and understanding
the full significance of that tragedy,
the son as the shepherd has under
taken to seek and IN save fhe Lost