Parable of the Lost Coin, Pt 1.
Today's Bible Reading: Luke 15
Supporting Passage: Luke 14:12-24
The parable of the Prodigal Son is probably Jesus' most famous parable. It is also a favorite of mine. In times of despair, I return to it and am reminded of God's deep love for me. Whether I'm acting more like the rebellious younger son or the self-righteous older son, I know God is waiting with open arms to welcome me home. It is indeed one of the greatest tales of all time.
But it is not the parable we're going to talk about next!
I know, I know. It seems weird to do a series about Jesus' parables and not include the Prodigal Son. But since many people have already written about it (including myself!), I thought it'd be fun to explore a lesser-known parable instead.
The parable I have in mind is not one of "Jesus' Greatest Hits." It's only three verses long and can easily get overlooked. But it's a story that has fascinated me over the past few years.
It's [drumroll please...] the parable of the Lost Coin!
To be fair, we will have to talk a little about the parable of the Prodigal Son to fully understand the Lost Coin. These two tales, along with the parable of the Lost Sheep, form a connected block of Jesus' teaching in Luke 15. Today, we will explore the context of these three parables before zooming in on the Lost Coin.
In Luke 14, Jesus tells the parable of the Great Banquet. In that story, Jesus reminds the religious leaders God's kingdom is open to everyone. So when they host a banquet, they should invite people viewed as outcasts.
Did the Pharisees accept this message? Let's see. Here's how Luke 15 begins:
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:1–2, NIV)
The outcasts and sinners were flocking to Jesus to hear him teach. As I read this, it makes me pause to wonder why. Why did they cling to this man with all their might, weeping at his feet and tugging at his clothes? I think it was out of sheer desperation. They didn't have the luxury of debating theology from an ivory tower. These were the poor in spirit and the mournful. They needed to be near Jesus.
Meanwhile, the Pharisees muttered the same complaint about Jesus they always had: He was eating with sinners. They still hadn't grasped the beauty of God's kingdom. But remember—Jesus loved these men just as much as he loved the outcasts. He wanted everyone to be included in God's Great Banquet.
At this point, Jesus could have turned to them and said, "Hey guys, don’t be such downers. I came to welcome everyone into God's kingdom." But instead, he tells three tales. The stories all follow a similar structure: something (or someone) gets lost, it is eventually found, and there is a celebration.
The Lost Coin is sandwiched between the more famous stories of the Lost Sheep and Prodigal Son. Because of this, it's easy for the Lost Coin to get, well... lost. The image of a shepherd carrying a frightened sheep home on his shoulders is a beautiful picture of God's love for us. And when the father embraces his wayward, pig-slop-covered son, it's enough to move us to tears. Compared to these two emotional tales, a story about a woman who loses a coin seems a bit dull. For most of my life, I didn't give it much thought. It was a less exciting version of the two other parables.
But Jesus had a reason for telling it.
Yes, all three stories convey the same basic message. Jesus wanted the religious leaders to know that when broken people are found by God, the whole kingdom celebrates. God's love for lost people doesn't diminish his love for those already on the inside. There's enough love for everyone.
And yet, the three parables highlight different aspects of this truth. So as we explore the parable of the Lost Coin together, I pray we can uncover a hidden gem.
It's a beautiful tale about the innate value each person has and lengths God goes to find us.
As we’ll see, he’s not afraid to get messy!
Questions to Ponder:
Take some time to read all three parables in Luke 15. What similarities do you see? What differences do you see?
Write down any initial thoughts you have about the parable of the Lost Coin.
Why do you think the Pharisees were still angry with Jesus for dining with sinners and outcasts even after the events of Luke 14?
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