I know you are used to it being called the Lost Coin, but there is more to it. Luke 15:8-10 is about a lady who lost a coin. It says, “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors 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.”
The coin was very important since it (a Greek coin called a ‘drachma’), was equal to a day’s wages. Somehow, by an act of carelessness or perhaps forgetfulness, she had lost it. Now what? She still has nine… what’s one lost coin? Look carefully at the Pharisees and teachers of the law. They were OK (they thought). If any were acceptable to God, if any had a future home in heaven, it was them, because they kept all the commandments and laws and traditions… they earned it. Their motives were wrong (Matthew 6:2, and 5), and “grace” (getting what is not deserved) and “mercy” (not getting what you do deserve), seemed far from their minds in dealing with those they called “sinners” and unworthy. So, the lost were just LOST to them… tough luck. Why not just care for the ones not lost?!
The woman was determined, she swept and cleaned the whole house. The tragedy of being lost is hard to put into words. It is certainly not fun. Have you ever lost your credit card? What about money. I remember one day dad told me of the time when he came home from the bank. He had cashed some money for some reason. Yet when he got home… it wasn’t in his pocket. He looked in the office, and it wasn’t there. He checked and re-checked his pockets and drawers. He re-traced his steps, and went to the truck… still no envelop… no money. He went and got his keys, and drove back down to the bank and looked where he had parked…. not there. He went inside the bank and asked the customer service lady, and she said, “Yes, someone found the white envelop in the parking lot and had brought it in.” Determination paid off. How relieved do you think he was? He told mom, he told everyone!!!.
The coin was lost by no fault of its own, (as some are lost today) it still belonged to the lady… she searched till she found it… she rejoiced… Does this say anything about Jesus? God? Grace? Forgiveness? Being lost is hard…(whoever causes it) and knowing that there is someone who is looking for you is wonderful. Knowing that someone still values you, is wonderful. Being found… is marvelous. Too bad, these religious leaders did not see the joy of finding those who were lost.
“Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence ofe angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
