The Persistent

The Persistent

Luke 15:3-10, NLT

So Jesus told them this story: 4“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! 8Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Setting the Scene

Jesus told three parables about loss, two of which appear in today’s reading. The first one features a shepherd and his sheep. Typically, each shepherd would count the sheep every night to make sure that all were accounted for. When the shepherd in Jesus’ story discovers a sheep is missing, he searches until he finds it, and then joyfully returns with the lost lamb. Each sheep is highly valued to this shepherd.

Jesus’ next story features a woman who loses a coin. Palestinian women would often receive ten silver coins as a wedding gift. These coins held monetary and sentimental value, much like a wedding ring; to lose one would be extremely distressing. In Jesus’ story, when the woman discovers one of the coins is missing, she lights a lamp and sweeps every part of the dirt-packed floor in hope of finding it. Although the woman still would have nine coins, she continues to look for the tenth. When she finds the missing coin, like the shepherd, she shares her joy with “her friends and neighbors.”

In these two stories, the items represent men and women who are “lost”; they do not know God and his salvation. The shepherd and the woman both represent God. Clearly God loves lost people so much that he seeks them and rejoices when they are “found.”

Jesus wanted to bring the good news of God’s Kingdom to people considered beyond hope. Just as the shepherd and the woman took the initiative to search, so Jesus actively seeks lost souls.

Getting Personal

When did you feel that you were “lost” or far rom God? Looking back, what evidence do you see of God’s seeking you?

How should the fact that God doesn’t give up on people affect your attitudes and actions toward the lost?

What an amazing promise: The Creator of the universe doesn’t give up on people. He compassionately searches for them, freely offering them forgiveness through his Son. God’s outreach to sinners went so far as to involve Jesus coming to earth as a human being and taking our sins on himself. “The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10, NLT).

Talking to God

Remember God’s great love for you that sought you out and drew you to him. Thank him specifically for the people and circumstances he used to help you learn about the Savior. Thank him that Christ died for us, “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8, NLT).