Like Sheep

I hate losing anything, so when I reread the stories about the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost son, in the bible this morning, I completely understood.

Luke chapter 15 opens with the lost sheep. One of my favorite paintings is of Jesus with the lamb over his shoulders. He is the “Good Shepherd” who not only cares for the 99 sheep but searches for the lost sheep and when he finds it, the bible says he joyfully goes home with it.

The parable that follows that one, is about a woman who has ten silver coins and loses one. At first I wondered why this one coin would be so important to this woman since today our coins are worth so little, but it is said that this coin would be about the same as a days wage for the woman. So this coin was of great value to her. In the same way we are worth much to God. Both of these parables says it is the same way when one sinner repents, there is a great celebration in heaven.

The parable of the lost son is along the same lines as the previous stories. The youngest son decides he's tired of hanging around with his father and older brother and wants to take off and have some fun! He asks his father for the money that he would have received as an inheritance upon his father's death. He was so anxious to “live” that he wasn't willing to wait for his father to die. His father gave it to him and indeed he did live it up for awhile, with money in his pocket he had lots of friends to live it up with. He didn't even give his father a thought since his days and nights were filled with all the pleasure he could find. He was happy with his new life, until his money and his pleasures ran out. He found himself tending pigs, which for a Jewish boy was the lowest of lows. He decided to return to his waiting Father.

The Father saw his son from a long way off and went out to him, threw his arms around him and kissed him. He called quickly for a celebration because his son who was dead, is alive, he who was lost was found.

I noticed a few things about these parables that made me think. The coin that was lost may have been covered in dirt since the bible says that the woman swept the house clean before finding the coin. I think sometimes without thinking too much about it our salvation can collect the dust and dirt of neglect. Is your bible dusty from lack of use, when was the last time we prayed or worshiped the Lord! There will be a celebration when you return.

The lost sheep probably wondered off, not really meaning to get lost. Just like you and I, we can very subtly open ourselves up to sin, we can wonder off. You didn't mean to get involved with the man in your office but he was so nice and complimented you constantly. He just looked at the porn site out of curiosity but then he was hooked. They didn't mean to wonder out into sin, you didn't mean to get lost but here you are. There will be a celebration when you return.

The prodigal son didn't just neglect his faith or just wonder off he stomped his defiant foot and said let me at it! He wanted it all including every sin he could get himself into. Have you ever knowingly, willingly turned your back on God? “I don't believe there is a God, one might say, this life is all there is and I intend to get all I can out of it” “God doesn't care about me,” another spouts! “I'm a good person, I don't need God!” still another says. Sound familiar?

I loved the part in the prodigal son when it said, the Father ran to his son and like the lost sheep, the Father joyfully brought him back home. Jesus says, about the one sheep out of one hundred, “in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” There will be a celebration in heaven when even one returns.