Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan to answer the lawyer’s questions. And while the lawyer may have gotten an answer to his big question about living forever, there were still many more people with many more questions. There were also more people trying to catch Jesus doing something wrong. People who didn’t like what Jesus was saying and doing. Jesus didn’t like that they grumbled about God’s grace or about his spending time with people who were lost. And so Jesus told more stories to show them why he came to be with sinners. He told them a story about a man who went to rescue his lost sheep. He told them about a woman who scoured her house looking for a precious coin. After telling stories of a lost sheep and a lost coin, he told one about a lost son. He told them these parables because the Pharisees and scribes were complaining about how really bad people (“tax collectors and sinners,” Luke 15:1) were coming to Jesus, eating with him, listening to him, and following him. His stories helped show why there is much joy when lost things are found—and why spending time looking for the lost is good. How will the Pharisees respond to the stories? Will their grumbling against Jesus turn to joy? Will they begin to seek the lost with hope that they will be found? Let’s find out!