Customer Reviews

Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15 (Concordia Scholarship Today)

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Kenneth Bailey is a New Testament scholar with a unique area of academic focus. His expertise is the Middle Eastern context of the New Testament with a particular focus on the Gospels. "Finding the Lost" examines the cultural context of Luke 15--Jesus parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. While Bailey has written on these parables before, he writes that his understanding of these parables has changed as he now sees close connections between Luke 15 and Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my Shepherd...").

The book is divided into six chapters. The first is an Introduction to the differences between the Middle Eastern culture of the 1st Century and Western culture of the 21st Century and scholarly methods employed to help bridge the gap. This reader found this chapter fascinating. The first chapter examines the parable of the Lost Sheep in the light of Middle Eastern culture, Psalm 23, Jeremiah23:1-4, and Ezekiel 34:11-16. Bailey caused this reader to think about the Lost Sheep parable at a deeper level than ever before. The second chapter examines the parable of the Lost Coin. Again, Bailey illuminates the parable by showing the reader how Middle Easterners would have heard it. The third chapter covers the first half of the Prodigal Son parable--the relationship between the younger son and the father. Much emotion is drawn out of the parable, especially the public humiliation suffered by the father and the great shame the younger son brings upon himself. The fourth chapter deals with the second half of this parable--the relationship between the older son and the father. Bailey convincingly shows that the older son is just as shameful (if not more so) than the younger son. He also proves that the older son's refusal to enter the banquet and his argument with his father was a purposeful attempt to shame and humiliate both his father and his brother. One final chapter attempts to make clear the 13 connections Bailey draws between Luke 15 and Psalm 23.

In all, the book was an illuminating read and will certainly influence the way I read these parables, teach them, and preach them. Indeed, Bailey provides enough material for many, many sermons. However, I cannot give this book five stars because I walk away unconvinced that Bailey has proved his premise--that Luke 15 should be read through the window of Psalm 23. While it is true that there are parallels between these two beloved chapters, drawing parallels does not prove the hermeneutical relationship he theorizes. Thus, I would highly recommend this book--not to gain new insights into the relationship between the Psalms and the parables--but to gain valuable new insights into the three beloved parables of Luke 15, to understand Middle Eastern Christian theology, and for an entertaining read.

Bailey's expertise in the Middle-East and its languages has allowed him to write a fascinating linkage between Luke 15 and Psalm 23. He weighs the material and evidences carefully and exegetially very well. Great insights into sheep and their care from models we are not use to.

More profound and accurate view of shepherd and sheep than Phillip Keller's works. House, home, father and lost are all here portrayed in full unity between the two testaments, with the glue being the Agnus Dei.

This is an insightful text that will help one better understand Jesus as a metaphorical theologian.

Bailey has spent over 35 years studying in the Middle East and Luke 15. We in the West don't always get it right and Bailey convincingly points out how the West has mistranslated and misinterpreted significant parts of Luke 15.

Bailey believes that this was one of Jesus' sermons that he gave as he traveled throughout Judea. What is Jesus saying? He redifined repentance to mean repentance is accepting God's costly gift of finding us. Repentance is not something we do. Also, the Father is a metaphor for God but Jesus uses the simile of a mother for God. In addition, Jesus himself is identified with the Father as Jesus attempts to answer why he eats with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus is saying much more then there is space to write here. He explores in detail the themes of sin, grace, repentance, Christology, Fatherhood, joy, family, community, freedom, atonement, and eschatology.

Dr. Bailey was the keynote speaker at the Festival of Biblical Storytellers Festival this Summer in North Carolina. He spoke with eloquence and humour about the way in which the Western WEorld interprets and misunderstands the cultural background of the New Testament. Finding the Lost is a study of Luke 15. Dr Bailey writes with the "live experience" of having taught for most of his academic career in Jerusalem, Egypt and Lebanon. He is a fluent linguist in Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic and of course a scholar in New Testament Greek and Biblical Hebrew. I strongly commend the book to any person who teaches Biblical Studies, is Ordained or involved in Lay Ministry and leads a Congregation. Dr Bailey lights up the real meaning of the Scriptures within the cultural setting of the time.

Bailey highlights a number of details that make the parables of Luke 15 so much more richer in content. A recommended read!

Dr. Bailey was a professor of mine in Jerusalem. It is a joy to find his teachings collected in this book. The cultural understandings of scripture make such a wonderful difference for us today.

Barbara Herlan