8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10
I recently read about a young man in Detroit, MI named Will Wang who lost his wallet. Will stopped at a gas station to fill up, but he left his wallet – filled with $900 in cash and cards – on top of the trunk. When he drove off, the wallet fell to the ground. In his frustration, Will cursed and blamed God for his own negligence. But the very next day a stranger showed up at Will’s doorstep. The Good Samaritan had found Will’s wallet and was returning it. Will was overjoyed and stunned that someone would have such integrity. Thanking the do-gooder profusely, Will asked him, “Why would you return my wallet and all this money? Most people would just say ‘finders’ keepers.’”
This gave the man an open door to witness. “I’m a Christian,” the man replied. “God wants us to love each other as brothers and sisters. I hope what I have done to you today, you will do to others one day.” That simple encounter led to something more than a wallet. It led Will to receive the riches of mercy and grace found in Jesus Christ. That day, Will renounced a life-long devotion to Buddhism and embraced the Gospel. Will told a reporter, “It was a divine set up. My heart immediately changed. I felt so touched, and at that moment I instantly believed in God.” Will soon joined a church, was baptized and began leading a Bible study.[1]
When I read this story, it made me think about the “lost and found” parables of Luke 15—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Like the coin, people have eternal value to God and Christ came seeking the lost (Luke 19:10). The Lord pursued Adam in the Garden (Gen. 3:8-9) and Jonah by sending the great fish to ferry him back to land (Jonah 1:17). Likewise, Jesus rearranged His travel itinerary just to seek out the woman by the well in Samaria (John 4).
The coin was lost in darkness, dirt, and disgrace. Doesn’t that also describe the lost sinner? The sinner loves the darkness rather than the light (John 3:19-20). Life in the gutter and mire of the world stains their life like a filthy rag (Is. 64:6). Then of course shame follows sin like night follows day. Living in sin makes us feel like we’ve lost our value, like we are empty and worthless. Scholars tell us that when a Jewish girl married, she was given a headband of ten silver coins to wear as a symbol that she was now a wife. It was the Jewish version of our modern wedding ring, and it was considered a terrible disgrace if she lost one of those coins. It is likely that this is what Jesus had in mind when He told this parable.[2]
Like that housewife, Christ searches for us out His infinite love to restore, redeem and rescue (Rom. 5:8). In order to find her coin, the woman lit a candle. That’s what the Holy Spirit does as He illuminates darkened eyes to the truth (2 Cor. 4:6). Then the woman also began to sweep her house. Through conviction, the Holy Spirit will sweep and stir up all of the filth and dirt in your life to reveal the sinner’s condition (John 16:8). Thank God for the Hound of Heaven who doesn’t give up, but searches for us even when we don’t want to be found!
If you are lost, you can
be found today. If you have been found by the Lord, then look for opportunities
to share the good news with the lost so they too can be found. -DM
[1] Roxy
Photenhauer, “Lost and Found Wallet Filled with Cash Led to Faith,” God Reports,
7 December 2020 <https://www.godreports.com/2020/12/lost-and-found-wallet-filled-with-cash-led-to-faith/>
[2]
Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament (Colorado
Springs: David C. Cook, 2007), 188.
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