Have you ever lost something truly valuable? I remember losing my wallet at Summer camp as a teenager. I felt a pit in my stomach and, to be honest, I was scared. Fortunately, someone found it and returned it to me the next day – with money still inside. I was fortunate indeed!
In Luke 15 we read three parables that stress the importance of lost souls. Jesus used these parables to counter-act the self-righteous attitudes of the Pharisees and teachers of the law mentioned in Luke 15:1-2. Jesus was teaching them (as well as us) that every soul is valuable to God. He uses the illustration of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and the lost son to demonstrate this lesson.
In the Parable of the Lost Coin, the pieces of silver were of great value to the woman. She searched diligently and carefully, lighting a lamp and sweeping the house until she found what was missing. The parallel to this is an important lesson about our value in God’s eyes. Just as every single coin mattered to the woman, every soul matters to God – the rich and poor, those with status and those without. Jesus died for all of us, and our souls are valuable to Him.
Also, notice that the woman celebrates finding a single coin. She doesn’t simply tuck it away in a pouch; instead, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!” (Luke 15:9). Likewise, every soul who repents is cause for the angels in heaven to rejoice. It doesn’t have to be 20 or 30, or even 100. Heaven rejoices over a single sinner who repents!
Luke 15 is all about seeking the lost and rejoicing when they return home. Later, Jesus would say in Luke 19:10, “The Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.” Never forget your own value in the eyes of God. Jesus died for you, cares for you, and loves you. Don’t let Satan convince you otherwise!
– Chris Abbott