There were once four people traveling in a car. They were going to see a relative whom they had not visited for many years. The driver was sure the way would become clear as they got closer and indeed began to recognize certain landmarks. But as time went by, it became apparent to the others that the driver was not remembering the way. They were lost. The driver, however, persisted trying this way and that way and driving all around the countryside. Finally after an hour of being lost, the driver gave in to their constant requests to stop and call for help. Once the directions were clear, the four arrived quickly at their destination and there was great rejoicing. Those who are familiar with the area don’t need maps or directions to find their way around. But those who are lost are the ones who need the help.
There was once a sheep that wandered away from the rest of the flock. When the shepherd counted and noticed one was missing, he went looking for the sheep and didn’t stop until he found it. Then there was great rejoicing. The rest of the sheep that had stayed close were safe. It was the lost one who needed help and the shepherd went after it.
Once a woman had ten silver coins. One day, she noticed she had lost one. It greatly concerned her and she searched high and low, cleaning places she hadn’t cleaned in a long time, until she found the coin. There was great rejoicing for the one that was lost was valuable and was found. Friends and neighbors celebrated with her.
There was once a young man who said to his father, “Why don’t you go ahead and die already? I want my inheritance.” His father divided the estate between him and his brother and the young man took his wealth and left home. He enjoyed himself and had many ‘friends’ as long as he had money. But when the money ran out, he became destitute and without friends. When he found himself feeding hogs and wishing he could eat their food (forget kosher, he was starving) he remembered he had a father who treated his servants way better than that. Maybe he could crawl home and his father would hire him. So he set off for home. His father had been very sad since the son left and longed for him to come home. He scanned the horizon every day watching for him. One day as he was scanning the horizon, he saw someone approaching. Could it be him? Yes! It was his son. He ran to meet him and threw his arms around his dirty, ragged, starving son. He welcomed him home and threw a huge banquet to celebrate.
In each of these cases, the lost is found and there is great celebration. Okay, I just threw the first one in there. It’s not in the Bible. I was just trying to get a handle on the idea of lost and found. Jesus told his first two stories as a warm up. They show us how he notices and looks for the lost. All three stories show us how much celebration occurs when the lost are found.
But wait. There is more. In the third story, Jesus addresses the Pharisees and teachers of the law who are standing there muttering about him hanging out with sinners and tax collectors – the scum of society. There is a jealous older brother who has been a model son, working hard, being obedient, taking care of his aging father. Why on earth would his father throw a party for his younger brother who had been living lower than low after squandering half of the family wealth? He shouldn’t even let him come home. And all this time that he has been helping his father, there was never a party celebrating how good he was doing. He is throwing a hissy fit and won’t even come to the party.
The father loves the older brother too. In fact, he says, “You are always with me and everything I have is yours.” Luke 15:31 We never hear the older brother’s response to this. What we hear is the father’s heart rejoicing in the lost being found, in his son coming home. The older brother was totally missing the father’s love for him. He saw himself as a slave or servant of his father. I wonder what he thought when his father said, “Everything I have is yours.” Here he could have thrown his own party anytime and he was so busy being the perfect son he didn’t realize it.
I wonder what the Pharisees and teachers of the law were thinking at this time. I wonder if they pondered what Jesus was saying and saw their ‘older brother behavior’ toward the sinners and tax collectors. I wonder if they thought about how much they were missing because they didn’t realize that they already had everything. I wonder if they thought about how hard they work to obey all the laws and live ‘above’ the scum and not associate with the scum of the earth.
And then I wonder if I have some older brother in me. I grew up in a faith-filled home, was read the Bible before I could read and have read the Bible ever since. I have gone to church regularly all my life and tried to keep the Sabbath. I don’t lie, cheat or steal. I don’t murder or commit adultery. Do I look down my nose at those who do? Do I make it impossible for them to come back because they had their chance and they blew it? Or do I stand with my Father scanning the horizon for those who have lost their way who might be trying to return? Do I stand with my Father opening my arms wide to embrace those who return? Do I celebrate with the angels in heaven when they return?
We have a Shepherd who notices if we are missing and looks for us. We have a Father who runs to meet us if we make just the smallest effort to come to him. We have a chorus of angels in heaven rejoicing when we come to our senses and return to the One who loves us. Can we stand with him and do the same for those who are lost?
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