Read Luke 15:1-10 with your family.

This entire chapter in Luke could be called “finding lost things” because there are three parables about something or someone being lost and the rejoicing when they are found. We are only looking at the first two parables: the lost sheep and the lost coin. One of the cool things about the Gospel of Luke is often stories are told one from a male perspective and one from a female perspective so everyone can see themselves in the story.

In the lost sheep, the owner of the sheep leaves the sheep behind and goes looking for the one sheep that is missing. When he finds that missing sheep he brings it back and they celebrate. (I know the Bible says the sheep were alone, but anyone with 100 sheep would have lots of paid help and they were watching the 99 sheep.) In Greek, the language of this story originally, the sheep was actually lead away from the others, or lead astray, and the owner was able to get it back. Jesus tells us that God is like that owner, when we get lead away from God, God comes looking for us to bring us back to the world God created.

In the lost coin, a woman loses one of her 10 silver coins, all the money she had in the world because there weren’t banks like we have so she couldn’t leave her money there. She searches everywhere, even in dark corners, then celebrates with her friends when it is found. Jesus tells us God is like the woman, and will look in every dark corner until God finds us again and brings us back to the world God created.

God loves us so much that God won’t stop at anything to find us and bring us home where we belong.