Parable of the Lost Coin, Pt 4.
Today's Bible Reading: Luke 15
In the parable of the Lost Coin, Jesus uses a woman's search of her house to talk indirectly about how God searches for lost people. Some scholars refer to it as a "how much more" parable. If a woman will tear up her home to find a coin, how much more will God go to great lengths to find us?
It's interesting to think about how each of the three items in Luke 15 got lost. Sheep are not too bright and prone to wander. Likewise, the distractions of life may cause us to stray from God. One day we look up, find ourselves lost in the wilderness, and wonder, "How did I get here?" In these moments, we need a good shepherd to lovingly carry us home.
There are other times when we defiantly choose to turn away from God. This is more in line with how the prodigal son became lost. He thought he knew everything, so he packed his bags and left home. In these moments, we need a steadfast father waiting for us when we come to our senses.
But what about a lost coin? Well, a lost coin is simply... lost. It didn't do anything in particular to get lost. And sometimes, this is how people are lost, too. No, I'm not saying they are somehow without sin or bear no responsibility. But—like the seed that fell along the path—maybe a lost coin has never been shown the beauty of God's kingdom. In these moments, we need someone to roll up their sleeves and search for us.
It reminds me of a guy I know who became a Christian in college. Up until that point, he hadn't even heard the name Jesus. Really! When he shared this with me, I didn't believe it. I thought he meant he didn't start following Jesus until college. But no. He grew up in America, celebrated Christmas and Easter for years, and yet never heard about Jesus. Thankfully, someone was willing to share God's kingdom with him.
The parable of the Lost Coin puts a big emphasis on the woman’s search. She doesn't wait for the coin to turn up somewhere. She takes action by doing three things:
Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? (Luke 15:8, NLT, emphasis mine)
The woman's house was small and may not have had windows, so a lamp was needed. As she swept every corner, I'm sure she unearthed dust bunnies and threw things off shelves. But the mess was worth it because she finally found the coin.
Jesus told this tale right after the religious leaders accused him of making a mess of the house. He was dining with sinners. He was talking to women who had bad reputations. He was touching people who had gross diseases. He was healing people on the Sabbath in God's holy house. This was messy business!
But to Jesus, the mess was worth it because he was finding people who'd been lost for quite some time. And they were joyfully joining God's kingdom. They had never felt more seen, known, loved, and—yes—aware that they did nothing to earn this invitation.
As a citizen of God’s kingdom, I want to reflect this same desire to see lost people found. But am I willing to get messy for others like Jesus did for me?
When I think of lost coins, I can't help but consider the younger generation. According to a recent "happiness study," happiness has decreased severely for Americans 30 years and younger. Another survey shows Gen Z is the most unchurched generation.
It can be easy for older generations to shake their heads and tsk-tsk at this bleak news. ("The young'uns just don't get it," says this crotchety Millennial!) But what if, instead, we saw it as an opportunity to get messy for the sake of others? Despite low church attendance, that same study also found Gen Z is the most open generation to spirituality. Imagine that!
Young people are disillusioned with this world. They may be skeptical of the church, yet they long to give their lives to something bigger. They are waiting to be shown the beauty of God's kingdom.
Reaching out to a younger generation means getting in the mess with them.
It's a messy thing to listen to their stories without judgment.
It's a messy thing to listen to their doubts and critiques of Christianity without getting defensive.
It's a messy thing to love and value them for who they are.
If my priority is to keep the house neat and tidy, this will be scary. It requires me to get out of my comfort zone and make mistakes. I can't do it alone. I need Jesus to guide me, but that is good news.
Making a mess of the house is what Jesus does for all of us.
Because he doesn't want anyone left out.
Questions to Ponder:
Think about the three lost items in Luke 15 (sheep, coin, son). What differences do you see in the way they each got lost?
Is there anyone who helped you see the beauty of God's kingdom? How did they get messy for your sake?
Do you know anyone from a younger generation who seems to be longing for a deeper purpose? How can you help them see the beauty of God's kingdom, even if it means getting messy?
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