"What Joy" 3-22-26
Overview
What Joy
Two small words—"What joy"—can carry very different meanings depending on the tone in which they are spoken. Spoken with delight, they ring out as celebration. Spoken with a sneer, they become bitter sarcasm. That contrast lies at the heart of Luke 15, where Jesus tells three parables in response to two very different audiences: tax collectors and sinners drawing near to listen, and Pharisees and scribes grumbling that "this fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them" Luke 15:1-2.
Three Parables, One Heart
In the parable of the lost sheep, a shepherd leaves a flock of one hundred—an ordinary flock, safely entrusted to fellow shepherds in the open country—and searches until he finds the one that wandered. In the parable of the lost coin, a woman searches every corner of her home for a single drachma, likely one of ten silver coins worn as a dowry headpiece, each worth a day's wages and meant as security for her family. In both cases the finder does not celebrate quietly and move on. The shepherd lays the sheep on his shoulders and rejoices; the woman lights a lamp, sweeps, searches, and then gathers friends and neighbors. "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost… Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost" (Luke 15:6; Luke 15:9). Jesus drives the point home: "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7; see also Luke 15:10).
The third parable, the prodigal son, deepens the picture. A father runs to the returning son before a single rehearsed apology can be spoken, wraps him in his arms, and throws a feast. But the elder brother stands outside, refusing to enter, recounting his years of service and resenting the celebration Luke 15:28-30. The father's reply is not optional: "We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found" Luke 15:32. It was necessary.
Two Ways to Hear "What Joy"
Hear these stories through the ears of the outcast and they ring like good news: What joy! Heaven itself rejoices when a sinner repents. Hear them through the ears of the self-righteous Pharisee or the elder brother, and the same words curdle into resentment: What joy is it that these sinners would be forgiven? Same words, very different meaning. The parables expose the heart of every hearer.
The Gospel for the Found
We are the wandering sheep of 1 Peter 2:25, going astray and now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. We are the coin, unable to seek our keeper, found only because Christ leaves no stone unturned, lighting the lamp of his Word until the gospel falls on us. We are the prodigal, met not with a probationary contract but with the embrace of a Father who runs. None of this rests on our worthiness; it rests on his grace and mercy.
And so the church, like the ninety-nine left in the open country, is not abandoned but kept under the watchful care of the Good Shepherd through Word and Sacrament, the prayers of the saints, and the encouragement of the body. The pastoral question this leaves with us is simple and searching: when a sinner is found, is our response the celebration of heaven, or the grumbling of the elder brother? May the Spirit form in us the joy that belongs to the Father's house—a joy we will one day speak together, without sarcasm and without end: What joy. What joy.
Transcript
If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 15th chapter. 3s
If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 67 in the New Testament. 9s
We're in the Gospel of Luke, the 15th chapter. 16s
You may notice that the sermon title for today, what joy, has no punctuation. 21s
It has no punctuation, and there's purpose behind that. 27s
When I was in dramatic arts, there was a game that I love to play a theater game, 32s
which it was called same line, different meaning. 38s
Same line, different meaning. 41s
And in this game, we'd be given specific words or groupings of words without any punctuation. 43s
And the intent is that you say the words with one inflection and then say them again 50s
with another inflection. 57s
And so the exercise is to work on the tone and the inflection of the voice, 58s
because it's not necessarily the words themselves, but the tone and the inflection 64s
that give meaning or mood to those words. 71s
And that's exactly what we're looking at with these two words. 75s
What joy, as we turn to our text today. 80s
Today, we close out this section of our sermon series. 83s
So we are in the sermon series this year, red letter words, 89s
where we are looking at various words of Christ that are recorded in Scripture. 93s
This section that we've been in or this chapter has been the chapter entitled Stories, 100s
where we have looked at a variety of parables, parables, 107s
the earthly story with heavenly purpose or heavenly meaning. 111s
And we've looked at the leaven. 117s
We looked at that parable last week, the leaven in the bread. 121s
We've looked at the parable of the good Samaritan. 125s
We've looked at the parable of the old and the new wine skins, the soil that the soar 127s
goes out to sow seed upon. 134s
We've looked at a variety of parables in today, as we study these two parables, 136s
really the third one being the prodigal son included with that. 142s
We're going to see these familiar parables. 147s
And we're going to examine them through the lens of those two words. 151s
What joy? 155s
What joy? 157s
And we're going to find that those two words can have very different meaning, 158s
depending on the punctuation, which we add to it. 165s
So let's go ahead and begin jumping in with verses one through two. 170s
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him, 175s
him being Jesus. 179s
And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, 181s
this fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them. 185s
There are two groups that are being addressed here. 189s
It's the tax collectors and the sinners and the Pharisees. 194s
The tax collectors and the sinners, they're drawing near. 199s
Now they are outcast by society. 205s
They are rejected. 208s
And yet here, here they're drawing near to Jesus. 209s
And then we have the Pharisees, those that are self-righteous, 213s
who are our clear of outward sin. 217s
And they are grumbling. 222s
They're grumbling. 224s
Now why would they be grumbling about these tax collectors 225s
and sinners coming near? 229s
Well, first of all, it's unclean to associate with a sinner. 231s
It's unclean. 237s
It's unheard of. 238s
It's not a righteous thing to do. 240s
And here is Jesus. 242s
Jesus is not only associating with them, 244s
but he's welcoming them. 248s
And not only is he welcoming them, 250s
but he is eating, sharing meals with these sinners. 253s
These tax collectors, sinners, those who really should not be near. 260s
The grouping of the three parables that we're looking at today. 271s
Some theologians refer to these as the parables 276s
of the outcast or gospel for the outcast. 280s
And we're gonna look at how the outcast may hear these. 285s
Look with me, please, beginning in verse three. 291s
So he, Jesus, told them this parable, 295s
which one of you? 298s
Having a hundred sheep and losing one of them 300s
does not leave the 99 in the wilderness 303s
and go after the one that is lost until he finds it. 306s
When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders 311s
and rejoices and lets jump down to verse eight. 314s
Or what woman, having 10 silver coins, 319s
if she loses one of them does not light a lamp, 322s
sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it. 326s
Just a couple of details with these. 332s
So the first detail, looking at that flock of sheep, 336s
the flock of 100 sheep would be an average flock. 340s
That is a typical flock for the second period, 344s
a second temple period in Jerusalem. 348s
And it is completely normal for the shepherds 351s
to lead their flock to what is referred to 355s
in this translation as the wilderness. 358s
In other translations, the Greek is translated as open space. 361s
So it is normal for these shepherds 366s
to lead their flocks to these open spaces. 369s
And one shepherd would have other shepherds with him. 373s
We'll call them assistant shepherds. 377s
And so as this shepherd, 380s
or leaves his flock in the open spaces, 382s
he's leaving them not unattended. 386s
He's leaving them with his assistant shepherds. 389s
Another point of detail, the woman, 393s
that has lost the coin. 397s
This is a drockmer. 399s
It's a silver coin. 401s
It's about one day's wages, one day's wages, 402s
for work. 407s
And a woman was often given as a dowry, 408s
a headpiece that held 10 drockmas. 413s
And so this is very likely referring to that headpiece 416s
that would have the 10 silver coins, 421s
those 10 drockmas. 423s
And one of them is missing. 424s
Now these 10 drockmas serve the purpose of the dowry 426s
because if her family is in need, 430s
she would have that day's wage. 433s
10 days wages to take care of her family. 435s
So this is the coin that she has lost. 440s
And notice that she looks in every nook and cranny. 444s
She lights a lamp. 450s
She looks under furniture. 452s
She looks everywhere for this coin. 453s
And then she found finds it what joy it must have been. 457s
What joy it must have been for the shepherd 461s
to find this lost sheep. 463s
What joy it must have been when this woman 467s
located her coin and was able to snatch it up. 471s
This is very, very exciting. 475s
What joy they must have experienced. 477s
Now I wanna ask, does pause here for a moment. 482s
Have you ever lost your keys or lost your phone 486s
or lost a piece of paper with an important note on it? 490s
And then you find it and you celebrate 493s
and it's exciting and you are filled with joy 496s
and you do a little happy dance by yourself. 500s
And the celebration takes place in your own mind 505s
with your own words, with your own space 509s
and then you move on with your day. 512s
Well that's not what happens with this shepherd. 515s
It's not what happens with this woman. 518s
Look with me please, again at verse five in chapter 15. 520s
Speaking of the shepherd, when he has found it, his sheep, 527s
he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 530s
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends 534s
and neighbors saying to them, 538s
rejoice with me for I have found my sheep that was lost 540s
and jumping down to verse nine. 546s
When she had found it, the woman finding her coin. 548s
She calls together her friends and neighbors saying, 553s
rejoice with me for I have found the coin 556s
that I had lost the shepherd and the woman. 559s
They are filled with joy. 566s
What joy, what joy they call their neighbors? 569s
They call their friends to throw a celebration, 572s
to celebrate that that which was lost is now found 575s
and they want to celebrate. 582s
They notify everyone and they are rejoicing what joy. 585s
My sheep is found, what joy? 593s
The coin that was lost is found, 597s
what joy, what joy? 602s
And Jesus continues in verse seven. 607s
Just so I tell you there will be more joy 611s
in heaven over one sinner who repents 615s
than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. 618s
And in verse 10, again he says, 624s
just so I tell you there is joy in the presence 627s
of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. 631s
Consider, consider those two groups of people 640s
that are hearing Jesus tell these parables. 644s
What joy, what joy it must have been 649s
for those sinners to hear this wonderful word 653s
what joy it would have been to hear 659s
that heaven itself rejoices at repentance. 663s
But what about the Pharisees? 671s
Do you think that they heard these parables 674s
and said what joy? 676s
Or do you think perhaps? 681s
They looked at the sinners around them, 684s
what joy? 689s
What joy is it that these sinners 692s
would have forgiveness? 700s
What joy? 704s
We have a third parable 708s
in these parables that Jesus is teaching. 711s
It's the parable that's very familiar to many of us. 714s
The parable of the prodigal son. 717s
A man had two sons, the younger one, 721s
tells him that he wants his inheritance. 724s
And he goes and he squanders it. 727s
He squanders all of his inheritance with sinful living. 730s
And he comes to his senses. 737s
And he realizes that he has sinned. 740s
And he wants to be back in his father's presence. 743s
And he wants to make it up to his father. 747s
And so he decides in his own mind 751s
that he's going to go and apologize to his father. 754s
And he's going to tell his father, 758s
I'll make this up to you. 760s
Treat me as one of your hired workers. 761s
But his father sees the son in the distance. 765s
And he he he he he he runs to his son and before his son can get a single word out. 769s
This father grabs him in a hug. 776s
Celebrating that his son who was dead is alive. 783s
And he brings him back to the house. 789s
And he calls for a celebration. 791s
And there's a great celebration. 793s
And then the elder brother, the elder brother comes home. 797s
And he is not pleased. 803s
And he is not filled with joy. 806s
In fact, it's quite the opposite. 809s
In verse 28, we read that the older brother, he became angry and refused to go in. 812s
He refused to go into the celebration to find joy. 818s
In the experience of his brother who has returned. 823s
His father came out and began to plead with him. 828s
But he answered his father, listen. 832s
For all these years, I have been working like a slave for you. 835s
And I have never disobeyed your command. 839s
Yet you have never given me even a young goat that I may, 842s
some might celebrate with my friends. 846s
But when this son of yours came back, 848s
who has devoured your property with prostitutes, 851s
you killed the fatted calf for him. 854s
Then the father said to him, 861s
son, you are always with me. 862s
And all that is mine is yours. 865s
But we had to celebrate and rejoice. 868s
Because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life, 874s
he was lost. 878s
And has been found. 879s
When the father says that we had to celebrate, 881s
we had to rejoice. 887s
He means it. 889s
It was necessary. 890s
It was necessary that they celebrate. 894s
What joy? 902s
What joy do we have? 904s
And these parables. 907s
Here them again. 911s
Here them. 912s
Through the ears of the outcast center. 914s
Here them. 917s
Through the ears of the self-righteous Pharisee. 919s
Which one of you? 925s
Having a hundred sheep and losing one of them 927s
does not leave the ninety nine in the wilderness. 930s
And go after the one that is lost until he finds it. 933s
When he is found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 938s
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors 942s
saying to them, rejoice with me. 946s
For I have found my sheep that was lost. 949s
Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven. 952s
Over one sinner who repents, 955s
than over ninety nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 958s
Or what woman having ten silver coins if she loses one of them 962s
does not light a lamp. 967s
Sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it. 970s
When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors 974s
saying, rejoice with me. 978s
For I have found the coin that I had lost. 980s
Just so I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God 984s
and over one sinner who repents. 989s
We hear this through the ear of the outcast. 995s
And we hear and we know that we are the sheep. 1001s
We are the sheep that has wandered off. 1007s
We are the sheep that is lost. 1010s
Peter, through the Holy Spirit, inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 1015s
writes, for you we are going as stray like sheep. 1019s
But now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. 1022s
You see we are those lost sheep. 1027s
We are born as lost sheep. 1030s
Lost away from our father, lost away from our flock. 1037s
Lost even to ourselves. 1043s
And yet Jesus is the good shepherd. 1051s
And Jesus comes searching for each of his sheep. 1057s
And he carries us. 1062s
He carries the burden of our sin on his shoulders. 1064s
And heaven rejoices. 1073s
And heaven rejoices. 1078s
Jesus is the woman searching for the lost coin. 1082s
And we are the coin unable to search for our keeper. 1087s
And we are unable to do anything because we are nothing in and of ourselves. 1094s
And yet Christ in his unending mercy in his love. 1100s
He leaves no stone unturned as he searches for us. 1105s
He turns on the light, the lamp of the gospel, his word, and shines it forth. 1111s
And it lights upon us and we are found and heaven rejoices. 1121s
And the angels in God's presence say, what joy? 1132s
What joy? 1138s
Jesus is the Father who doesn't wait for us. 1142s
And we are not afraid of us to make ourselves prepared to receive his presence prepared to receive 1148s
or be worthy of salvation but he runs to us. 1156s
He runs to us and wraps us in his arms. 1161s
And loves us not because we are worthy or ready but because he is gracious and merciful. 1167s
And he wraps us in the beautiful word that we are forgiven and heaven rejoices. 1176s
In our lives as the lost sheep who have been found in our lives as those lost coins who have been found in our lives as the one who had walked away from the Father and yet returned. 1197s
And the celebration is thrown. 1213s
Do we find that we are the Pharisees? 1221s
Do we find that we are the elder brother saying what joy? 1226s
What joy should be spent that this sinner has repented? 1235s
What joy should be spent that this one has been claimed by Christ? 1241s
We too. 1258s
We took two worthy outcasts. 1261s
And so in our lives as disciples in our lives as the 99 left in the open space, God did not leave us alone. 1264s
He left us in the tender care and watchful eye of the church, his body. 1281s
Where we received word and sacrament, where we are encouraged and prayed with and prayed for by the saints that he has gathered together. 1288s
And we have the promise that in the fullness of time we will be in the presence of the angels rejoicing over the sinners that once were lost but now are found. 1300s
You see in heaven there is only rejoicing. 1314s
There is no sorrow, there are no tears, there is rejoicing because all those who have been lost have been found. 1320s
And are in the presence of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. 1332s
In the presence of the angels, in the presence of the communion of the saints. 1339s
And together we get to praise the shepherd, the one who carried us on his shoulders. 1349s
We get to praise the one who left no stone unturned in his search for us. 1357s
We get to praise the one who has gathered us into his arms. 1364s
And we get to say together as one holy people in the presence of all in heaven. 1375s
What joy? 1387s
What joy? 1390s