Three Lessons-One Verse

by Tim Keller, Lead Pastor

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:7
 
Years ago there was a commercial for a laundry detergent that rattled off the slogan, “Three temperatures, one detergent.” It would be years later that I learned that basically all laundry detergents could be used at all three temperatures.
 
How about “one verse-three lessons?” Okay, I’ll admit it’s no “Where’s the Beef?” but it does at least try to capture the multiple lessons that this single verse from Luke 15 teaches us.
 
First, this single statement from Jesus teaches us that heaven is a real place. He actually believed that heaven was as real as Chicago and that it could be experienced like a gentle rain on a summer evening. More than just a state of mind, Jesus referred often to heaven as if it was a real place that He had both experienced and would experience again.
 
Recently I was invited to participate in a college panel on the subject of hell. My fellow panelists included a Greek Orthodox minister who happened to teach religion at the college. His opening remarks about hell indicated that he did not believe it to be a real, tangible place. Rather, it was more a state of mind depending on our relationship with God.
 
Uh, right. I was sorry to have to disagree with this scholarly man so quickly. Actually, it was Jesus who disagreed with him when He referred to heaven in Luke 15.
 
Second, this real place called heaven is apparently a place of great celebration and rejoicing. Jesus said that heaven will be a place of rejoicing. Despite some of my childhood teaching that heaven would be a place for people to quietly strum harps while reflecting on how quiet they are being, it seems as if heaven might just be a little bit more of a raucous party than a library. Heaven will be a place of heart-felt joy and celebration.
 
Third, this verse reveals that the highest level of celebration in heaven will be in response to the single act of one sinner repenting. Even more than the actions of a righteous man or woman indulging in some super-heroic church activity like praying or worshiping or working in the nursery for back-to-back weeks, a repentant sinner coming to faith will absolutely set heaven on fire with joy and celebration.
 
Given the truth of this third lesson wouldn’t it make sense to do everything we can to stoke the rejoicing in heaven by spending our lives encouraging people to repent and turn from their sinful ways? Wouldn’t that be the very best way to please God instead of spending our time and energy doing stuff around the church that won’t create a party in heaven?
 
In this one verse we learn three valuable lessons; about heaven, about the environment of heaven, and about the motivation behind the rejoicing.