another one about a female figure. The I Don’t Know of the lost coin has many of the characteristics of the one about the lost Where to Turn sheep, but it gives a different approach “The Parable of the Lost Coin” and so maybe some would get the mes- sage from the lost coin who didn’t un- derstand the message of the lost sheep.

Have you ever lost something and then searched for it only to find after much searching and frustration it was exactly where you had put it! Sometimes when we lose something in our homes every- one is called to look for it even though they have no idea where it may be! This not successful. There was no “joy in poor widow was all by herself. She did- Mudville”* for the Pharisees. They n’t call her neighbors in until she had were striking out. They wanted some- searched and found it. Then she had a thing against . They certainly “For God so loved the world, that he party and asked them all to rejoice with were not happy with the attention He gave his only begotten Son, that her. The coin, according to some au- was getting. whosoever believeth in him should thorities was comparable to a day’s not perish, but have everlasting wages. It was small but very valuable. The sheep could be someone in your life.” John 3:16 church, or a friend, or a family member At first reading the seem very who needs help. Sometimes you may much alike and one could wonder why feel it is you. A person may put on a The Parable of the Lost Coin, found in Christ told them. Wasn’t He being re- happy face, but be struggling inwardly :8-10 immediately follows the petitive? But on closer examination, He or be lonely and in need of a friend. It parable of the lost sheep. We are told is trying to reach two different audienc- is our obligation to find this person that tax collectors, Pharisees, and sin- es. They have several important differ- who does not call out to us. Sometimes ners were gathering around to hear Je- ences. The lost sheep wandered off on it takes this searching by us before we sus speak. Some wanted to hear more his own. The coin was lost. The coin is get to know a person and realize their from this wonderful teacher; some inanimate. The sheep probably realized value to us and to others. Each person wanted to catch Him saying something it was outside the fold. The shepherd has a worth but we sometimes don’t they could use to condemn Him. After could perhaps hear the sheep crying. find it. all he had just come from welcoming The coin could not make a sound. The sinners and eating with tax collectors. coin does not lose its value because it is The initial response is lost. The coin is small but the sheep that of a woman who Instead of condemning them, Christ needs to be carried. The shepherd had lost some money and is told them a few stories. It was up to many other sheep. The woman had on- really upset and hunts them to listen and hear how it applied ly a few coins. until she finds it. But to them. He had put the burden of there is more to this truth on them. Some understood; some In both cases, we have the parable end- story than just the did not. In many of the parables, Christ ing with joy. Those who went to hear finding of the money. told one about a male figure, and then Him so they could condemn Him were The Pharisees were The Parable of the Lost Coin Prayer: Lord, You are awesome in Your love for us. You are constantly with us, “I don’t think God is a gender. He “Or suppose a woman has ten silver even when we don’t deserve it. Help us presents himself as a father but he coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a to accept Your love and then go out and lamp, sweep the house and search tell others about Your salvation as You comes to us with the tenderness of carefully until she finds it? And when commanded us to go into all the world a mother. In some of the parables, she finds it, she calls her friends and and teach the . Please help us to neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice he is the housewife who cleans the realize that we have to search for op- with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In portunities to tell others, but we also house looking for the lost coin.” the same way, I tell you, there is re- need to accept Your love for our own Max Lucado joicing in the presence of the angels of lives and feel the security of being God over one sinner who repents.” found, and being in Your fold. Help us Luke 15:8-10 NIV to realize that we can do nothing on our grumbling over many small things. own, but through Your loving faithful- Christ said there would be rejoicing in challenged the Scribes and the ness we can be found. Amen heaven over one sinner who repented. Pharisees to see others as God saw Did they get the message? We should them. He wanted to show them as per- 1. How do we fit into this parable? note that the woman knew she had lost sons of worth. Regardless of how young 2. Are we the coin who is lost and un- a coin and needed to find it. This is not or old, how rich or poor, we are all sure of where to go? only about the value of the coin, it is the loved by God. 3. Are we like the woman searching knowledge that God knows each one of and caring about those who are not us, and He searches for us. I can’t com- Sometimes we lose something and nev- close to God? prehend how He can keep track of each er find it again, or maybe it is found 4. Why should the angels rejoice over one of us, but He does, and He watches months or even years later. Some let- one sinner? over us constantly. ters that were sent during the wars have turned up many years later. We some- *"Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Re- We cannot find God any more than the times like to be lost for a little while and public Sung in the Year 1888" is a base- coin can find the woman. The woman see if we can handle things on our own. ball poem written in 1888 by Ernest never gave up in her search until she We can’t, but we sure try! Thayer. found the coin. Perhaps we can also We are like sheep sometimes, but we ©rgscripts compare these two parables to the peo- are also like the coin. We cannot find [email protected] ple. Christ told them back to back for a God any more than the coin can find purpose. The sheep was probably able the woman, so God searches for us as to call or bleat. It had known the pro- the woman searched until He find us. If tection of the fold, but it had wandered we know Christ away. The coin being an inanimate ob- as our personal ject didn’t feel any different on the dirt Savior, we also “The teaching of Jesus begin in story floor than it did in a purse. Some of the need to help and end in symbol. They begin in a people then and today have known the search for those parable and end in us. comfort of knowing about God’s salva- who do not tion but they have wandered away. know Christ These are not Bible Some people have never known any- and His love, stories that we learn; thing else and they need to be searched forgiveness and these are our stories.” for by us so they know God’s salvation. salvation. Leonard Sweet