Key Verse: "I tell you, there is rejoicing in the
presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Luke 15:10
Let's remember again just who Jesus' audience is here. While
what he had to say truly was a blessing to the disciples and the down trodden,
at the back of the crowd were His critics. Luke tells us that the Pharisees and
teachers were actually muttering, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with
them." (Luke 15:2) There was no grace from this group.
So, Jesus first tells the story of the lost sheep, to, once again, demonstrate how wrong their thinking actually is. All three of
these parables, The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and, The Prodigal Son, are all
told with this audience at the back of the crowd in mind.
First, as we discussed 20 days ago, Jesus talks about the sheep. While shepherds
themselves were held in low regard, sheep were, and continue to be, a valuable
commodity for the culture. Sheep provide food, clothing, and animals for
sacrifice at the temple. The wonderful thing is that shepherds really care for
their sheep and don't just treat them like a commodity, but treat them like
family, so losing a sheep would have been a disgrace and a big deal to the
listeners who appreciated the value of the sheep.
Now, Jesus turns to an example that could happen in every
home. Not everyone raises sheep, but everyone has a home to go to, and
everyone, in a poor society, can appreciate the value of a coin. Unfortunately,
the woman in this story has lost one of her coins and it is a serious enough
matter to raise alarm. Was the coin part of her dowry, meaning it represented
her worth, or was it earnings necessary for household expenses? There isn't
clarity on this point. What we do know is that this coin was very important to
the woman of the house. Perhaps, with the Pharisee's own love of money, they
themselves could really appreciate the frantic search to find this lost coin.
When the coin is found, again, there is a party to
celebrate. All the neighbors and friends are brought in to share in her joy.
But then, Jesus once again brings the conversation around to talk about
repentance.
It is easier to understand a lesson about repentance with a
sheep. Sheep are living creatures. They can wander off or be enticed away. A
coin, however, is an inanimate object. How can a coin repent? It didn't
purposely roll away, or try to hide from its owner.
In Romans
5:6, Paul says: "You see, at just the right time, when we were still
powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Can there be anything more
powerless than a coin, lost in a corner, unable to draw attention to itself at
all? It is even completely unaware that it is lost! Yet, it is being sought. It
is unaware of its value, yet the woman in the parable, the Christ figure,
searches diligently for it.
That is how Christ searched for you. You didn't know that
you were lost. You had no idea of your value. You had no clue that a loving God
was searching diligently for you and when He found you, you had no idea the
rejoicing that took place in heaven because you had been found. There is
rejoicing because you did not reject the Seeker. Instead, you accepted His gift
of life. You chose to give up your life of pursuing what was making you
powerless, even to death, you accepted His life for yours and came alive in
Him.
"Go God! Another one saved!" The angels are
rejoicing at what was found, a new life is born! Will you help Him seek for
those whom you know are still lost? The Pharisees would scoff at this. Their
attitude was more of, "Let the rabble stay as they are!" You, and
Jesus, know better.
Hymn: "Christ Liveth In Me"
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