Luke 15
Parables of the Lost
Near the end of the Savior’s mortal ministry, Pharisees and scribes complained about Jesus’s association with publicans and sinners. In response to their complaints, Jesus taught the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. This lesson can help you to recognize and feel how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love and value you and all others.
What is it worth?
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being low and 10 being high, how much would you want the following?
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Your favorite dessert
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Your favorite dessert if it fell on the floor
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Your favorite dessert if someone stepped on it
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A $20 bill
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A $20 bill if it fell on the floor
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A $20 bill if someone stepped on it
Take a moment to ponder how this activity might relate to the worth of individuals.
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How might this analogy compare with how accurately we view our own value?
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Why might we sometimes feel tempted to think about or treat ourselves and others like we or they are of less worth?
Think about how you treat those who may need to repent and improve, including yourself. As you study this lesson, look for truths about how the Lord feels toward and treats those who need to repent.
In Luke 15, Jesus taught three parables. Read Luke 15:1–2, looking for the situation that led the Savior to teach these parables. Note that publicans were Jews who collected taxes for the Romans and therefore were generally hated by other Jews.
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What do these verses teach you about the Savior? In what ways might we sometimes be like the Pharisees?
Jesus Christ responded to the Pharisees and scribes’ complaints by teaching about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son.
The lost sheep and the lost coin
Read or review either the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:4–7 and the Joseph Smith Translation text found in Luke 15:4, footnote a) or the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8–10), looking for words or phrases that indicate how the owner in each story valued what was lost.
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What words or phrases indicate the value the owner placed on what was lost?
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In what ways might the sheep or the coin in these parables represent individuals?
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According to these verses, how do those who help find the spiritually lost feel when a sinner repents? How do Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel?
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What lessons did you learn about the Savior from these parables?
The prodigal son
The third parable in Luke 15 is commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son (the word prodigal means wasteful, reckless, or extravagant). However, this parable tells the story of two sons, both of whom needed help from their father. As you study, look for truths that reveal how Heavenly Father feels toward and treats all of His children who are spiritually lost for any reason.
Read Luke 15:11–32, imagining that the father in this account represents Heavenly Father. Consider marking words or phrases that reveal how He feels toward His children. You may also consider watching the video “The Prodigal Son” (5:33), available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and following along in the scriptures.
Recall how the Pharisees criticized the Savior for receiving and eating with sinners.
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What do you think the Savior hoped the Pharisees would learn from this parable?
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What in this parable do you think is most relevant for you to understand and remember? Why?
One truth we learn from this parable is that Heavenly Father values and loves all His children and is waiting with open arms to welcome all who will turn to Him.
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How might the parables in Luke 15 apply to those who are spiritually lost because of sin as well as to those who may feel different, unappreciated, or unseen?
1. Complete the following activity, and answer the question below in your study journal.
Recognizing my individual worth
On a page in your study journal, consider making a simple drawing of a shepherd holding a sheep or a father hugging his son. Use the space surrounding this drawing to record the following:
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Words or phrases (including those from Luke 15) that remind you of how beloved you and all others are to Heavenly Father, even when you and others need to repent.
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Ways you can treat those who need to repent with compassion, including yourself.
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As you think about how you treat yourself and those around you, how do you want to apply what you learned today?
Optional: Want to Learn More?
Luke 15:7. What did the Lord mean by “ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance”?
Joseph Smith taught that one way to interpret the parable of the lost sheep is to compare the ninety and nine sheep to Pharisees and Sadducees who did not think they needed to come to Jesus Christ and repent (see History, 1838–1856 [Manuscript History of the Church], volume D-1, 1459, josephsmithpapers.org).
Why is it so important to seek, find, and nurture those who are lost?
President M. Russell Ballard, acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught:
Every soul is very precious to our Heavenly Father. We must never forget that through the Atonement, the Lord Jesus Christ paid a great price for the redemption of each one of us. His suffering must not be in vain because we fail to nurture and teach those who are striving to be active in the Church.
(M. Russell Ballard, “Are We Keeping Pace?” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 8)
Luke 15:12–13. What did the son mean when he said, “Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me”?
According to the customs of the Savior’s time, a son received his inheritance only after his father died. For a son to demand his inheritance before his father’s death (see Luke 15:12–13) would have been an enormous offense. The son’s request would have been seen as a rejection of his father, his home, his upbringing, and even his entire community.
(New Testament Student Manual [2018], ChurchofJesusChrist.org)