Prodigals, Lost Sheep, and Misplaced Coins

But, Mommmmmm….

My older brother, Jeremy, had this obsession with unique vehicles when he was a teenager and throughout his early twenties.  He chose to buy some of the strangest cars and trucks. When he was still in high school, he bought this 1970s boat of a white Cadillac.  It was one of the biggest, ugliest, most impractical cars ever. But, he had the money, and he wanted it, so he bought it. And the trend only continued from there with his El Camino, Dodge Stealth, and Sporty S10--all completely impractical cars that our mother disapproved of and knew were far from his best choices.  But, she never tried to talk him out of his car choices or even make a case as to why he should be doing something differently. I think mom knew it would be a pointless argument to even attempt. I think she knew Jeremy well enough to know that he was determined to do what he wanted regardless of whether or not it was his best choice.  

And she knew he would continue to do it over and over again.

When he decided after a short time that maybe he hadn’t made the best choice, she never held it against him.  She accepted him, loved him, and treated him just the same as if he had not just made another stupid and impractical car choice!

He was part of the family.

Her love for him was unconditional.

And that’s exactly the way God treats us.

Sunday School Lessons

Growing up in the church, the parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son were common teaching material and talking points.  Throughout my years in Sunday School and even “adult” church, these Parables were used to illustrate the importance of witnessing and evangelism--always pointing to the fact that God rejoices when even one lost sinner is saved.  Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely believe that is true, that God and the angels rejoice when one soul is saved, but I also think we might be missing the entire point of these parables!

Think with me about the parable of the lost son.  The youngest son in this parable was just that--a son.  He was a member of the family. He wasn’t a slave, a servant, or even the black sheep of the family.  He was a son. He was a son who made an incredibly selfish decision when he chose to take his inheritance and leave the family he had been an integral part of his entire life.  It was his choice to leave the family, and he did so without any hesitation at first. He went away; he squandered his money; he lived wildly, and he ended up broke and broken.  

It is at this point of brokenness that the son realizes he would be better off as one of his father’s servants than living the life he was currently in.  So, what does he do? He returns home. Humbly. With the intention of begging his father for a place as one of the help.  

We all know the story, and we tend to focus our attention on that point, but I think we need to look at one other important detail of this parable:  The lost son was a member of the family. He didn’t just show up and become an adopted member of this family. No, he was a part of this family long BEFORE he made his choice to squander his inheritance and indulge in his selfishness.  

Before.

He belonged to the family before.

And, what about the parable of the lost coin?  It was absolutely in the possession of the widow BEFORE it became lost. 

Before.

And, finally, what about the parable of the lost sheep?  It was obviously a member of the flock BEFORE it wandered off and got lost.

Before.

For years, I looked at these parables as lessons about how God rejoices when a lost sinner is saved, but is that really the lesson here?

The lost son belonged in the family before he was ever lost.

The lost coin was part of the collection before it was ever lost.

The lost sheep was part of the flock before it ever wandered off.

Who are these stories really about: the sinner or the saint?

These stories are all parables about members of the family who find themselves lost, who have chosen to live wildly or even to inadvertently wander off.  Thin about what that actually reveals about the nature of our God and his love for us?

He knew.

He knew that eventually even as believers, as members of his family, we would make mistakes, we would live wildly, and we would wander off.  

He knew.

And, yet, he still loves us so much that he sees us coming back to him at a distance, runs to meet us, clothes us with mercy, and throws a party in our honor.  

And, yet, he will still tear our houses apart and look absolutely everywhere to find us.

And, yet, he will still leave the 99 to chase us down and bring us home.

That is the Father’s love for us.

Rejoicing

When we look at the reactions of the father, the widow, and the shepherd after they have found what was lost, we see nothing but grace, love, and mercy.  There is sheer and utter rejoicing. And, that is what we can be sure the Father feels for use when we have wandered off, become lost, and then are found again.  That same rejoicing we describe God having for the newly saved is the same he feels for one of his own when they return to him.

There is no anger, no shame, no condemnation, no punishment--only rejoicing.  And, that is truly the definition of grace and mercy--a father rejoicing over the fact that his child has returned to him.  

I’m not entirely sure what happens to us as Christians when we respond to members of our churches and families who have wandered off, chosen wild living, or found themselves lost, but manage to find their way back home.  I don’t know what it is, but it certainly tends to be ugly. I think our humanity tends to take over, and we lose our focus on Christ because we have this inkling to judge, to condemn, to shame, and, well, to be incredibly human.  I know when I returned home, I had friends, good friends, friends who claim Christ, who refused to speak to me, ghosted me, cut me out of their lives, left the church, and even were so vocal as to express how they don’t know how anyone could be friends with me after what I’ve done.  But, that’s not the example Jesus gives us to follow in these parables--not even close. Instead, we have the example of a father throwing a full-on party.

And that is what we should be doing as well.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost, But Most Are!

Friends, I am sure some of you have found yourselves in the depths of despair because of your own choices.  I’m sure some of you have found yourselves separated from the 99, unsure of how you will ever get home, and I’m sure some of you have found yourselves completely and utterly lost, like that one coin.  

But, thank God, your father chased you down, he left the 99, he searched high and low for you, and he rejoiced with the angels when you were found and returned home to him.  

Or, maybe, that’s where you find yourself now: lost, separated, and alone.  I can assure you that your father is waiting to welcome you home with open arms and cover you with grace and mercy.  I can assure you that he is chasing you down right now to bring you back to the flock. I can assure that he is turning your house upside down to find you.  I pray that today is the day your Father and his angels rejoice for the saint who has returned to the family.

Until next time, my friends...