What stands out throughout Scripture, but especially in the “Lost” parables, is the lengths to which God is willing to go. This is expressed well in the parable of the lost coin:
Or suppose a woman has ten valuable coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and look in every corner of the house and sweep every nook and cranny until she finds it?
Luke 15:8Luke 15:8
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
One Coin 8 Jesus told the people another story: What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won't she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds it?
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Every. Every corner. Every nook and cranny. The coin is worth an all out search; it is that important. Everything else stops. Focus is clear.
Seeking what is lost costs us something. I cannot count the time wasted looking for dolls at bedtime, tearful eyes and screechy voices indicating the seriousness of the need. I have spent hours pouring over Scripture, looking for a phrase or a verse, trying to remember where it was, in order to answer some one’s question.
Sometimes, we will even pay to recover what has been lost. People devote their whole careers and personal fortunes uncovering lost civilizations, lost ships, lost treasure. Sometimes the cost is worth it, and sometimes not! A parent will expend the full measure of energy and resources to recover a lost child. When something is that important, it demands for us to do whatever it takes.
Jesus went after the lost, expending every fiber of his being in the process. This often meant busting through cultural norms, violating expectations and encroaching on difficult social problems. This behavior brought him to recline at the table and share this parable. At a minimum this cost him his reputation before many; we might even say that his willingness to go after the lost directly led to his death. It was costly, but it was worth it to him.
So is it worth it to us? Are we willing to sacrifice income and advancement, even in this hard economy, in order to reach out to the lost? Are we willing to take the time to comfort a hurting friend, or help a neighbor who needs a hand with yard-work? Are we willing to risk our reputations on Christ and the hope he provides? Each day it is a question of cost and worth.
How will you answer God today?
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