只是問一下 (17)：為何祂不尋找？

一張三腳櫈必須有三隻長短一樣的櫈腳。
不然它就會搖晃不定。

耶穌曾經說過三個比喻。
（解經者主張這該是一個比喻的三種表達，讓我們暫且不討論這點。）

第一個比喻談及一個有一百隻羊的牧羊人，他去尋找失落的一隻，找到了，就和朋友一起慶祝。

第二個比喻談及一個有十塊錢的婦人，她點上燈，在屋內尋找失落的一塊，找到了，就和朋友一起慶祝。

第三個比喻談及一個有兩個兒子的父親，幼子離家成為浪子，父親在自己的莊園內等待。失落的兒子終於歸家，父親就和家人及朋友一起慶祝。

讀這三個比喻給人一種搖晃的感覺。
不錯，三個都談到失落。
三個都談到得回。
三個都談到失而復得的喜樂。
搖晃的感覺並不來自這些。

搖晃的感覺來自極度的失去平衡。
牧羊人尋找。
婦人尋找。
父親沒有尋找；他只是等待。
非常的不平衡。
三腳櫈會摔倒。

從比喻的層面看，在三個比喻的框架之內，是失去平衡的。
父親，那個想象中最該去尋找的角色，從沒這樣做。
耶穌會講出這樣不平衡的比喻，往好的方面說，是令人費解的。

從路加福音的層面看，記錄耶穌講說比喻的是第十五章，在這章的框架之內，是否仍然感到不平衡？

許多稅吏和罪人都挨近耶穌，要聽他講道。法利賽人和文士私下議論說：「這個人接納罪人，又同他們吃飯。」耶穌就用比喻對他們說……（路加福音十五章1至3節《和修》）。

誰是失落的？
稅吏和罪人？
法利賽人和文士？

有人在尋找失落的人嗎？
誰在尋找？

只是問一下。

Parables window, Keswick (Antiquary, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Just asking (17): Why Didn’t He Look?

Just asking (17): Why Didn’t He Look?

A three legged stool must have three equally long legs.
Otherwise it feels wobbly.

Jesus once told three parables.
(Interpreters argue it should be one in three but let’s leave it for now.)

The first parable talks about a shepherd with 100 sheep. He went to look for the one that was lost. Found it. Celebrated with friends.

The second parable talks about a woman with 10 coins. She lit up the house to look for the lost coin. Found it. Celebrated with friends.

The third parable talks about a father who had two sons. The young went away and became the prodigal son. The father stood within the perimeter of his estate and waited for the prodigal to return which he eventually did. Celebrated with family and friends.

Reading these three parables gives one a wobbly feeling.
No doubt all three talked loss.
All three talked found.
All three talked the joy of lost and found.
The wobbling doesn’t come from these.

It becomes exceedingly unbalanced.
The shepherd sought.
The woman sought.
The father didn’t; just waited.
So wobbling.
The three legged stool will fall.

At the parable level, within the frame of the three parables, it’s wobbly.
The character most expected to also seek, the father, never did.
For Jesus to tell such wobbling parables, it is puzzling at best.

At the Gospel of Luke level where Jesus was recorded as telling these parables, that is the frame of reading Luke Chapter 15, is it still wobbly?

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! So Jesus told them this story . . . (Luke 15:1-3, NLT).

Who is the lost?
Tax collectors and sinners?
Pharisees and teachers of law?

Is there someone seeking the lost?
Who is seeking?

Just asking