What does Luke 15:10 mean?
Jesus finishes the second of three parables about lost things. Pharisees and their lawyers—scribes—are grumbling at Jesus. He has a warm relationship with those who abuse fellow Jews or have abandoned proper God-worship. The parable of the lost sheep addresses sinners who wandered away from God because of their foolishness (Luke 15:1–7).This parable, the parable of the lost coin, speaks about those who wander off without recognizing it. A coin is unthinking. It can fall and roll away into a dark corner without conscious intent. But the woman who owns it values it, even though it is not worth a massive amount: just a day's wages. She lights a lamp and sweeps the whole house until she finds it. When she does, she invites her friends to celebrate with her (Luke 15:8–9). In the same way, God desires a relationship with those who don't know they've abandoned Him. When such a sinner repents, heaven, itself, rejoices.
The image of the celebration is suspenseful. In the parable of the lost sheep, the celebration was in heaven (Luke 15:7). Now, it is "before the angels." In the upcoming parable of the prodigal son, we learn that it is God, Himself, who rejoices when the sinner returns to Him (Luke 15:21–24).
Luke 15:8–10 continues Jesus' three parables about lost things, here speaking of a coin. In this analogy, the sinner is like a lost coin that doesn't know it needs rescuing. When the woman finds the coin, she invites her neighbors to celebrate with her, like how heaven rejoices when a sinner repents. The prior parable referred to those who leave God for foolish reasons (Luke 15:3–7); the last describes sinners who intentionally rebel against God (Luke 15:11–32). When any sinner repents and returns to his Father, God is eager to restore their relationship. These parables are unique to Luke's writing.
To answer criticisms that He associates with sinners, Jesus tells three parables. A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to rescue a single lost member. A woman searches diligently to locate a lost coin. A father eagerly forgives his wayward son when the young man returns in humility and repentance. All these lead to celebration. In the same way, Jesus teaches that God cares about restoring those who have fallen, and we should mirror His joy whenever that happens.
