In the Fifteenth Chapter of Luke, Jesus tells three stories that dramatize the hesed of the LORD God that endures and blesses forever—the hesed that the words and the very life of Jesus embody.

To dramatize various aspects of hesed, the stories tell us about a faithful shepherd saving his lost sheep, a diligent woman finding her lost coin, and a kind father restoring his lost sons.

The word hesed in Hebrew is translated a number of ways in English:

     —Faithfulness. (Psalm 117:2 NIV).

     —Love. (Psalm 136 NIV).

     —Mercy. (Psalm 136 KJV).

     —Steadfast love. (Psalm 136 ESV; Exodus 34:6-7).

     —Lovingkindness. (Psalm 136 NASB).

     —Kindness. (Micah 6:8).

Since no one English word captures the richness of the Hebrew word hesed, I will use the word hesed in this blog.

In a story told by Jesus, a shepherd leaves 99 of the 100 sheep in his flock and goes “after the [one] lost sheep until he finds it. And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.” (Luke 15:3-6).

The faithfulness and steadfast love of hesed motivate the shepherd to search for his lost sheep. The lovingkindness and kindness of hesed motivate the Shepherd to put the exhausted, scared sheep across his shoulders and to carry the sheep home.

In a story told by Jesus, the woman lights a lamp, sweeps her house, and searches carefully until she finds her lost coin. The woman manifests the faithfulness and steadfast love of hesed as she diligently searches for her lost coin.

In a story told by Jesus, a father loses both his sons.

The younger son rudely left home, taking half of his father’s wealth with him. This son squandered all his “inheritance”, showing up penniless and starving in his father’s village.

Nevertheless, his father humiliates himself in front of the whole village in order to restore his lost son.

Filled with compassion, the father manifests love, mercy and kindness by running through the village, embracing his son, kissing him, clothing him in the best robe, putting a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet, and inviting the whole village to a “welcome home party” where they can celebrate by feasting on a “fattened calf”.

The elder son—who has stayed home working hard and living frugally—is mad. Now he rebels! He throws a temper tantrum and refuses to come to the “welcome home party”.

The father manifests his love, mercy and kindness towards the elder son by once again humiliating himself in front of the whole village.

Earlier that very same day, the father had humiliated himself in front of the whole village.

How?

By running through the village in an undignified fashion. And by overlooking his younger son’s former rebellious, arrogant, selfish behavior.

Now, the father humiliates himself again in front of the whole village.

How?

By leaving the “welcome home party” in order to extend love, mercy and kindness to his elder son, overlooking his elder son’s rebellious, arrogant, selfish behavior.

With these stories, Jesus dramatizes the hesed of the LORD God that endures and blesses forever.

As we’ve seen in my blogs (listed in the READ MORE section), this hesed saved and nurtured Moses. This hesed saved and nurtured Israel. This hesed established the work of Moses’s hands. This hesed blessed David forever. Micah taught us to walk humbly in this hesed. Jeremiah taught us to hope in this hesed. This hesed returned Israel to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple. The words and the very life of Jesus embody this hesed.

And so, in these stories about saving lost sheep, lost coins, and lost sons, Jesus foreshadowed his crucifixion and his resurrection.

His crucifixion embodied the faithfulness, love, mercy, steadfast love, lovingkindness, and kindness needed to save lost sheep, lost coins, and lost sons.

His resurrection embodies the joy that fills heaven when this hesed saves lost sheep, lost coins, and lost sons.

His resurrection embodies this hesed that endures and blesses forever!

And so, we have faith that we are more than conquerors through hesed.

For we are convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the hesed of the LORD God that endures and blesses forever! (See Romans 8:28)

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For more of my thoughts about the hesed of the LORD God, please read my blogs “The Hesed of the LORD Endures Forever”, “Hesed Saves and Nurtures Baby Moses”, “Hesed Saves Israel—Passover”, “Hesed Nurtures Israel—From the Red Sea to Mount Sinai”, “Hesed Nurtures Israel—Mount Sinai”, “Hesed Establishes the Work of Moses’s Hands—Mount Nebo”, “Hesed Blesses Forever—David”, “Walking Humbly With Hesed—Micah”, “Hoping in Hesed—Jeremiah”, “Hesed Returns Israel to Jerusalem”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—The Vision of Isaiah”, “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Fulfilling the Law of Moses and the Prophets”, and “Jesus Embodies Hesed—Sowing the Ideals of the Law of Moses and the Prophets”.

For more of my thoughts about the Parable of the Sower, please read the chapter “Jesus Welcomes Sinners” in my book Hoping in the LORD, at pages 199-202.