The Lost “One”

In Luke 15:1-10, we read of Jesus being castigated for associating with sinners to the point He

was even eating with them! The “good” people of His day did not like the fact that Jesus was

mingling with these “bad” people. Today, a parallel might be a great preacher was holding

meetings in the slums, spending his time trying to reach the dregs of our society. What would

we think about that?

When faced with this opposition, Jesus tells two stories about human nature referencing loss.

First, he tells them about a shepherd who goes out to find one lost sheep. The second story is

about a woman who loses one coin. In both cases, the protagonist of the story searches until

they find their lost item and then comes back celebrating with their friends and neighbors

because the lost was found. Also, in both cases, Jesus draws a parallel with lost sinners who

repent causing great joy in heaven. What lessons can we take away from these stories today?

First, every soul is precious to God. The lost sinners need someone to reach out to them and

encourage them to return to God. I am reminded of what Paul tells the Corinthians his mantra is

in 2 Corinthians 5:20. Here, he writes, “we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal

through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” Isn’t this exactly what

Jesus represents in His ministry? He is God’s ambassador on earth urging people to repent

and return to Him. Every single person is important to God, and He wants all of us to repent

and return. In fact, we read in 2 Peter 3:9 that God “does not want anyone to be destroyed, but

wants everyone to repent.” Jesus came into our world to “seek and save those who are lost.”

(Luke 19:10)

Next, whether we are in the “good” or “bad” group, we should support efforts to reach the lost. I

know a young woman who is trying to reach her family with the good news of the gospel. This

is the real thrust of Jesus here in Luke 15. Instead of criticizing people for associating with

“sinners”, we should be helping them bring people back to God. While everyone has their

spiritual talents, we are all called to bring God’s good news to the world. So, let's start being

positive about the outreach to our lost world without questioning motives and techniques.

Finally, Jesus gives us an insight into the spiritual realm as He talks about repenting sinners

bringing joy to heavenly beings. At the end of both stories, Jesus talks about rejoicing in

heaven when people repent and return to God. If we want to cause happiness and joy in God’s

presence then we will strive to reach those who are lost. What could go wrong?

Some people are bothered by the idea that God foreordains those who are saved based on

verses such as in Ephesians 1:4 about people being chosen before He made the world.

Perhaps Paul was just being positive in his introduction of his letter to the Ephesians. I believe

he meant that God knows who will be saved even before we repent. Therefore, He chooses

those who return to Him. The other way to think about this verse is that everyone is chosen to

be in God’s family, and we are called to reach out to the lost of the family and help them return.

I like this last idea that you and I are tasked with helping the lost return to God’s household. Do

you remember the next “lost” story that Jesus teaches in this series of parables about the lost?

First Christian Church Breckenridge, Texas