Luke 15 Recovering the Lost
The Lost Sheep
Pres. Uchtdorf said,
“Over the
centuries, this parable has traditionally been interpreted as a call to action
for us to bring back the lost sheep and to reach out to those who are lost.
While this is certainly appropriate and good, I wonder if there is more to
it. Is it possible that Jesus’s purpose,
first and foremost, was to teach about the work of the Good Shepherd? Is it possible that He was testifying of
God’s love for His wayward children? Is
it possible that the Savior’s message was that God is fully aware of those who
are lost—and that He will find them, that He will reach out to them, and that
He will rescue them? . . . To me, the parable of the lost sheep is one of the
most hopeful passages in all of scripture. Our Savior, the Good Shepherd, knows
and loves us. He knows and loves you. He
knows when you are lost, and He knows where you are. He knows your grief. Your
silent pleadings. Your fears. Your tears. It matters not how you became
lost—whether because of your own poor choices or because of circumstances
beyond your control. What matters is
that you are His child. And He loves you. He loves His children. Because He loves you, He will find you. He
will place you upon His shoulders, rejoicing. And when He brings you home, He
will say to one and all, ‘Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was
lost.’” - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “He Will Place You on His Shoulders and
Carry You Home”, General Conference, April 2016.
The Prodigal Son
Elder Holland said,
“The tender
image of this boy’s anxious, faithful father running to meet him and showering
him with kisses is one of the most moving and compassionate scenes in all of
holy writ. It tells every child of God, wayward or otherwise, how much God
wants us back in the protection of His arms.” (“The Other Prodigal,” General
Conference, April 2002.)
He also said,
“This son is not so much angry that the other
has come home as he is angry that his parents are so happy about it. Feeling
unappreciated and perhaps more than a little self-pity, this dutiful son—and he
is wonderfully dutiful—forgets for a moment that he has never had to know filth
or despair, fear or self-loathing. He forgets for a moment that every calf on
the ranch is already his and so are all the robes in the closet and every ring
in the drawer. He forgets for a moment that his faithfulness has been and
always will be rewarded. … He has yet to come to the compassion and mercy, the
charitable breadth of vision to see that this is not a rival returning. It is
his brother. …Certainly this younger brother had been a prisoner—a prisoner of
sin, stupidity, and a pigsty. But the older brother lives in some confinement,
too. He has, as yet, been unable to break out of the prison of himself. He is
haunted by the green-eyed monster of jealousy.” (“The Other Prodigal,” General
Conference, April 2002.)
