Lost and Found - Luke 15:1-32

Lost and Found - Luke 15:1-32

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. - Luke 15:10

A lost sheep.  A lost coin.  A lost son.

These stories all have in common the idea that something was lost, but now is found!  And it doesn't take long for us to identify with the lost thing.  Most of us have, at one point or another, found ourselves far from home... stranded... or lost in the cracks.  We've found ourselves at the bottom of the pit, unsure if there was any way out.

These stories not only remind us that the lost can be found again, but that God is actively seeking the lost.  Indeed, the message of the incarnation is that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.  As Athanasius said, "He became like we are, so that we might become like He is."

These stories reveal that God is a seeking God... that finding and pursuing lost people is an integral part of the character and nature of God.

Are you being shaped in His Image?  If so, then who are you seeking?  Who are you pursuing?

I was lost, but Jesus found me, Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw His loving arms around me, Drew me back into His way.
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me
Sing it with the saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.

                            - Francis H. Rowley