Luke 15:1-10

15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.

15:2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

15:3 So he told them this parable:

15:4 "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?

15:5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices.

15:6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.'

15:7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

15:8 "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?

15:9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.'

15:10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

One of the major themes of the Bible is that of individuals and whole nations being lost and God actively seeking to find and return the lost to their rightful place with Him. Story after story tells of people who, through their own choice or ignorance, separate from God and God actively seeking ways to have them return to Him. For example, in Luke 15 three ‘lost’ parables of Jesus are put back to back. One tells of a shepherd who cares for one hundred sheep and when one is lost he leaves the ninety-nine and goes off to find the one who is lost. This parable is followed by the woman who lost a coin in her own home and will not give up until she finds that coin. And the last is the prodigal son who, by his own choice, becomes lost. Why are these three parables of the lost put together? One really good reason is that it drives home the point that God seeks all those who are lost to Him. No other religion understands God as one who seeks us.

There is also another observation we can make about the three back to back parables. It is the place where the lost are found. With the shepherd, the lost sheep wondered off innocently into the wilderness, in the prodigal son, the lost son intentionally leaves home and returns home on his own. But what about the lost coin? In this parable, the lost is lost at home...

How can one be lost and still be at home? The lost stories are not about being physically lost, they are all about being spiritually lost. Jesus is telling us we don’t have to look far to locate lost people. They sit in God’s house, week after week, seeking understanding of God and their place in this world. Sometimes we make the mistake of assuming someone is a Christian by the fact that they attend church every Sunday.

My heart breaks for the lost and confused among us. These are our fellow journeymen who sit in church and don’t get why they are not receiving the joy that God promised. What’s worse, is that in many of our churches, the lost are afraid to confess their confusion and unsettled spirits for fear of rejection. So they sit in worship and fellowship with us and don’t experience the joy of being found by God.

Joyce Meyer has some mighty sayings. One that comes to mind here is her observation about attending church and being a Christian. When many people are asked if they are Christians, they often respond by saying, “I go to church every Sunday.” Meyer’s response: “You know, I can spend my life sitting in a garage and never become a car.” Attending church does not necessarily equate with being a Christian.

God calls us to be His eyes and ears here on earth. To seek with him the lost and help the lost gain the understanding they need to be found and reunited with God as we were created to be. We don’t have to go to foreign countries or even down the street to find those who are spiritually lost. Be open to looking in God’s house for the lost among us. And join with God to love them back into His heart.

The Reverend Dee Shaffer, Vicar
Our Savior at Honey Creek
Spiritual Care Director Heartland Hospice