“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
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A man seeks out a lost sheep, finds it, and comes home rejoicing. Now, a woman, at home, loses a coin, searches diligently, finds it, and calls all her friends to rejoice with her.
A sheep. A coin. The lost is found. It’s a picture of the repentant sinner coming home to the Father. The heartfelt rejoicing of the shepherd and the woman is a graphic picture of our Lord himself rejoicing with all the angels of heaven. Amazing. What a joyous sight. What a jubilant sound.
Both stories speak to the contempt and dismissal that the Pharisees and teachers of the Law extended towards those they deemed to be “sinners.” They were deeply offended that Jesus would willingly associate with such people. But Jesus’ association is based in the fact that he values each one and wants them to be “found.”
The story of the lost sheep shows the ends to which the shepherd is willing to go to find the sheep – he will go as far as needed; he travels the distance, whatever it takes; he searches “after the lost sheep until he finds it” (verse 4). The story of the lost coin, on the other hand, shows the intensity of the search. The woman searches “carefully.” Her house, typical of the day, would have had minimal outside light, with only a low doorway and very small windows, if any at all. Lighting a lamp was crucial for clear-sightedness in the nooks and crannies, under any table or bench, in and around baskets or bins or anything else piled on the floor. And sweeping with a broom was necessary to make sure nothing was missed. She searches carefully, diligently, persistently – she is more than eager for the coin to be found.
It's not surprising, for that coin would have represented considerable worth and value to the woman. It was either a portion of her savings or of her dowry, perhaps even being strung together with the other coins to be worn ornamentally as a headdress. Regardless, the coin’s loss would be deeply felt. She grieved. It needed to be found. It was worth the effort to meticulously search. She engages actively.
And once it was found, it was well worth celebrating. She, like the shepherd, throws a party. “Come and rejoice with me!” she says to friends and neighbours. They understand the joy. They celebrate fully.
Both stories communicate what is seen in no other religion worldwide – indeed it surprised the Pharisees, too. Our God is a God who seeks. The Pharisees didn’t anticipate this. They, together with other religions, emphasized the necessity for humanity to seek after God. True biblical faith emphasizes the same, but the rationale is different. It’s rooted in the prior knowledge that God himself is seeking us. It’s the message of Christmas, the message of the Incarnation. God has so loved that he sent his Son. He desires so deeply that none perish that he has come to the rescue. Come to find the lost. Us. We then respond to his overtures of grace. “We love because he first loved us.”
He’s like a committed, determined shepherd, seeking far and wide to draw us home. He’s like a passionate, persistent woman, leaving no corner unlit, no nook unswept, to bring us into the light, to restore us to himself.
Oh, how good. Praise his name.
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Dear Lord – Father, Son, Holy Spirit – thank you for your passionate heart for the lost. All of us. Me. Praise you for searching with all compassion, determination, and sacrifice. I am eternally grateful.
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Reflect:
In your mind’s eye, measure the distance the Lord has travelled to search and find you. Consider the intensity, thoroughness, diligence, and sacrifice of his search. Give thanks.
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Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/.../person-holding-a-round-coin.../
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