Luke 15:1,2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Then drew near—all the publicans, &c.— To do good unto all sorts of men, was the employment and highest pleasure of the Son of God; accordingly, when the tax-gatherers and sinners came to hear him, he rejoiced at the opportunity, received them courteously, and, though they were persons of infamous characters, went with them to their houses, that he might scatter the seeds of wisdom among them, and, if possible, bring them to a right temper of mind. Some suppose that these publicans and sinners came by a particular appointment from all the neighbouring parts; but, as St. Luke goes on with the history without any intimation of a change, either in the time, or the scene of it, it is most probable that these discourses were delivered the same day that Christ dined with the Pharisee; which being the sabbath-day, would give the publicans, who on other days were employed in their office, a more convenient opportunity of attending him. The Pharisees, whose pride was intolerable, thinking our Lord's behaviour inconsistent with the sanctity of a prophet, were much displeased with him for it, and murmured at his charitable condescension, which ought rather to have given them joy. Wherefore, that he might justify his conversing familiarly with sinners, in order to convert them, he delivered the parable of the lost sheep, which he had spoken once before, (see Matthew 18:12-13.) together with the parables of the lost money and prodigal son. From men's conduct in the common affairs of life, described in the parable of the lost sheep and lost money, Christ proved that every sinner should be sought after by the teachers of religion: for as men are so moved by the loss of any part of their property, that they seem to neglect what remains, while they are employed in recovering that which happens to be missing; and when they have found it, are so overjoyed, that they cannot contain themselves; but,—calling their friends to whom they had given an account of their misfortune,—tell the good news, that they may partake in their joy; so the servants of God should labour with the greatest solicitude to recover whatever part of his property is lost; such of his reasonable creatures as, having strayed from him, are in danger of perishing: and they have powerful encouragement to do so, as the conversion of a single sinner occasions more joy in heaven, than the steadfastness of ninety-nine just persons, who need no repentance; that is to say, conversion; for so the word signifies, as it should be translated, Luke 15:7.—unless by the just persons here mentioned, we understand the glorified saints. By this circumstancelikewise our Lord insinuated, that the Pharisees, who pretended to more holiness than others, instead of repining at his conversing with, and instructing sinners, ought to have imitated the example of the heavenly beings, and to have rejoiced to find these men delighted with his company and discourses; as he enjoined them a much stricter and holier life than they hitherto had been used to;and since this was a good token of their repentance, and seemed to promise a speedy and thorough conversion. The drift of both parables is to shew, that the conversion of sinners is a thing highly acceptable to God; and consequently, that whatever is necessary thereto, is so far from being inconsistent with goodness, that it is the very perfection and excellence of it.See Daniel 12:3.