Above: The Lost Coin, Eugene Burnand (1850-1921)
—————————
I heard this story from someone who said it actually happened to him. He was in a grocery store, in line behind a lady who was a champion coupon clipper. She turned in a handful of coupons to be subtracted from her bill. The clerk told her that the coupons came to a total of $19.30. However, the clerk said she could not accept one of the 25-cent coupons because it was designated for a different size coffee can. But the coupon clipper objected, insisting that this had never been a problem before. They argued back and forth, and finally the manager had to be called. This was all very time consuming and everyone in the long line was getting angry. Finally, after several minutes, the manager got there and seeing this was a difficult customer said, “Oh, all right, let her have the 25 cents off.” So the clerk made the adjustment, took the ladies’ money, and handed her the change. But then, one of the coins dropped, and everyone could see it rolling away under a counter. The clerk quickly reached down to try and find it, but the shopper just took the rest of her change and left, saying with a smile, “Oh, that’s okay; it’s only a quarter.”
This story reminds of the parable of Jesus in Luke 15:8-9. There Jesus said: “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.'”
Would she do that? Would you? For one coin?
Which of you, if you had lost a single coin, perhaps a quarter, would move all the furniture out of your house, rip up the carpet, carry all the heavy appliances out into the yard, search high and low, and then, when you finally find that quarter, start making food and calling all the neighbors over for a party? “Which of you wouldn’t do the same?,” asks Jesus. Well, the answer is none of us would do that. I sure wouldn’t. Not for only a quarter.
Granted, we can’t be sure of the value of that coin in that society, but to get at the intent of Jesus’ question, we must look at the parable before this one. Jesus is talking about a man who has a hundred sheep and loses one. “Does he not leave the ninety-nine in open country and go looking for it until he finds?,” Jesus asks. Well, come to think of it Jesus, I don’t think so. Who would risk the loss of the entire flock for just one measly sheep? Shepherds were supposed to stay with the sheep for a reason– to protect them from wild animals and thieves. You couldn’t just leave the whole flock for who knows how long to go looking for just one. You would be better off counting that one sheep as a loss and staying with the rest to prevent them all from wandering off. Yes, you would be happy if by chance that lost one wandered back. But you wouldn’t go all over looking for it. You would stay and protect the ninety-nine.
I think Jesus is asking this question in such a way as to be expecting an answer of NO. “No,” we would say, “we would not be that concerned about just one coin or just one sheep. That lady in the opening story irritated everyone by making such a big deal about a 25 cent coupon, and then when a quarter was dropped said, “Forget it, it is only a quarter.” Yeah right, forget it. She should have thought of that earlier. But that is right. Forget it. It’s only one coin, or, it’s only one sheep. Only one. Who cares about only one when there are more to be had, or, more to be concerned about? But Jesus gets to the punch-line in verse ten where he says, “Yet, there is rejoicing in the presence of God’s angels over ONE SINNER who repents.”
So that is what Jesus is getting at! He is not talking about the value of a single coin. He is not giving advice on efficient time management (as in spending all that time tearing apart the house looking for a quarter). And he is not talking about the balancing of risks in the care of a flock of sheep. He is talking about sinners here. About people. And he is saying that every single person matters to Him. Every single one of us matters to God. And God keeps looking for a response from us and he keeps pursuing us, because he wants each and every one of us back into his fold. And when one who has been lost is found, or, finds his or her way back, there is great rejoicing by God and all the angels in heaven. (continued…)
************************************************
Luke 15:8-10 — (Jesus said), “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Matthew 18:14 — (Jesus said), “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”
************************************************
Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
–Charlotte Elliot (1789-1871)
Related Posts
