This is the problem with interpreting parables so literally that we impose foolish equations that nullify the actual equations.
We have Jesus telling three parables about three ways a person can become estranged from God. The lost sheep, the lost coin and the wayward son.
The lost sheep depicts a person who becomes distracted by his environment, and does not keep God in his thoughts and wanders off pursuing a life that does not include God any more. That person needs to be sought out by a pastor-hearted person, who will gain their trust and lead them to repent and put God back in their knowledge.
The lost coin depicts a person who is neglected by the church (the woman) and becomes mislaid and isolated from the church and self-absorbed. The church needs to go looking for such a "lost treasure" until the church loves them into repentance away from self-absorption and self-pity to relational living within the church community, serving and being served, loving and being loved.
The wayward son depicts a person who understands the blessing of God in Christ: the promise of health, forgiveness, wealth and deliverance, but becomes focussed on inheriting and enjoying these for themselves: those who gravitate into the extreme prosperity and triumphalist gospel. They are like the Israelites who were already allotted their inheritance, and chose not fight with the other tribes to help them gain their inheritances also, but chose to stay on their own inheritance and enjoy and accumulate blessings to themselves. Such selfishness leads to sinful indulgences and eventual public shame. When they repent from their betrayal of the family of God and come to their senses and humble themselves to become willing servants of the family of God, they are restored intimacy with the father.
The sheep is forgetting God and rthe rest of the flock, and is relating to other things in the environment apart from God and the flock. The coin is not relating to anyone, neither God nor the woman, but is self-contained. The wayward son is not relating to the father or the household, but is focussed on enjoying now the blessings of his inheritance within the family which should be largely deferred until later. All of these attitudes need to be turned around to a healthier focus. That turning around is repentance and re-established a right relationship with God and the family of God.
We have Jesus telling three parables about three ways a person can become estranged from God. The lost sheep, the lost coin and the wayward son.
The lost sheep depicts a person who becomes distracted by his environment, and does not keep God in his thoughts and wanders off pursuing a life that does not include God any more. That person needs to be sought out by a pastor-hearted person, who will gain their trust and lead them to repent and put God back in their knowledge.
The lost coin depicts a person who is neglected by the church (the woman) and becomes mislaid and isolated from the church and self-absorbed. The church needs to go looking for such a "lost treasure" until the church loves them into repentance away from self-absorption and self-pity to relational living within the church community, serving and being served, loving and being loved.
The wayward son depicts a person who understands the blessing of God in Christ: the promise of health, forgiveness, wealth and deliverance, but becomes focussed on inheriting and enjoying these for themselves: those who gravitate into the extreme prosperity and triumphalist gospel. They are like the Israelites who were already allotted their inheritance, and chose not fight with the other tribes to help them gain their inheritances also, but chose to stay on their own inheritance and enjoy and accumulate blessings to themselves. Such selfishness leads to sinful indulgences and eventual public shame. When they repent from their betrayal of the family of God and come to their senses and humble themselves to become willing servants of the family of God, they are restored intimacy with the father.
The sheep is forgetting God and rthe rest of the flock, and is relating to other things in the environment apart from God and the flock. The coin is not relating to anyone, neither God nor the woman, but is self-contained. The wayward son is not relating to the father or the household, but is focussed on enjoying now the blessings of his inheritance within the family which should be largely deferred until later. All of these attitudes need to be turned around to a healthier focus. That turning around is repentance and re-established a right relationship with God and the family of God.
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