Matthew 5-7, 9, 14
Mark 4-6
Luke 10, 15
John 6

You may have already figured this out if you’ve read the new testament, but Jesus was unlike any man to ever live on this earth. He performed miracles, taught in ways that changed lives, and eventually did something that is for everyone who would ever believe in him. A sacrifice that many would not ever imagine could happen. 

In the passages above, we find Jesus teaching to a large group people. One of the ways he taught was in parables. Parables are short stories that have a lesson weaved into them. From Jesus, parables teach us about who God is, the Kingdom of Heaven, and the way to live as a follower of Christ. 

Let’s focus on one of those parables today. Check out Luke 15:8-10.

Put on your imagination goggles for a moment and let’s think about this story from a different perspective. Imagine a handful of silver coins. Ten to be exact. Now imagine that you are one of these coins. You are picked up out of the pile and tossed into a large room filled with chairs, furniture, toys… plenty of places to roll into and get lost. And that is exactly what happens. Don’t worry though, someone is going to look for you. 

It would take a while to find the coin and be quite difficult because the room is so big. There are things in the way. The person searching would take their time to find the coin (to search for you) maybe even by moving some chairs or other things out of the way. But, unfortunately, the coin that you are pretending to be is lost. 

…Honest moment: If it were me looking, I’d probably just give up and walk away. It’s just one coin and there are 9 more in my hand.

How would you feel if someone just gave up searching for you? Why?

The thing to consider in this imaginative exercise is the hidden truth about this lost coin.

EVEN THOUGH THE COIN IS LOST, IT STILL HAS VALUE.

Just because the coin isn’t in someone’s hand, or being used at a store to purchase something, it is still valuable.

This same truth is visible in the parable Jesus told in the book of Luke. We see a woman in the parable give all of her energy to find her lost coin. She lights a lamp to make sure she can see, perhaps expecting to search late into the evening. She sweeps the house to get all the other dust and debris about of the way. She searches and searches, carefully looking everywhere for the valuable coin that has been lost, not giving up until it has been found.

The lost coin is important. It has value and is definitely not worthless!

Jesus is proclaiming the importance of those who live apart from God. Even though many in the world are lost, they are still valuable to the Father. Those trapped in sin can be saved by the Son. The lost wanderer can be found and brought back to God through the Holy Spirit. 

Peter says it perfectly that “The Lord…is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Listen: Maybe you are lost. Maybe you have never known God. Maybe you’ve followed God your whole life but sin has become a nasty habit, doing its work of separating you from the Father. Maybe you’ve just wandered off, distracted by the world around you. 

Guess what? You are valuable to God. No matter how lost you think you are, He will continue to do his work on Earth, tirelessly drawing his most loved creation, you, back to Him.

I love how this Parable ends. The woman finds the coin!

“When she finds the coin, 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.” (Luke 15:9-10)