Losing and rejoicing

 As I looked at the readings for Sunday, I had a sudden feeling of, something lost. This is a daily occurrence for me. I need to make sure that I keep things in the same place as otherwise I lose  them. Keys, books, handbags, pens, mobile phones, anything that can go missing, does.  I am sure lots of people have turned their houses upside down to search for something. I am stubborn so I will keep looking even if there doesn’t seem to be much point.

The woman looking for her lost coin in the gospel reading (Luke 15:1-10) had other coins. In the parable Jesus didn’t say the woman was poor, maybe she could have waited for it to turn up. However, she didn’t wait, maybe she was stubborn too, maybe the coin was a very significant one, or maybe Jesus was trying to show us something that could seem ridiculous. 

This would make sense when you think of the shepherd who left 99 sheep unattended to search for one that was lost. It makes little sense except the shepherd was prepared to hunt and search for this sheep. Maybe the point is that it is God not giving up on any of us until we turn to Him. 

Or, maybe Jesus was pointing out to the scribes and Pharisees who were listening, that you can have the role of a shepherd, that of a leader but how far will you go to bring everyone to God ? Or maybe Jesus was making the point that like the woman and the coin you don’t give up until that which was lost has been found. 

This relates well to the epistle reading from 1 Timothy 1:12-17. Timothy had turned to God, and Paul writing this letter was making sure that Timothy didn’t stray. In order to do this, he explained that he had not been perfect, but he had come to know Jesus. My favourite verses in this section are verses 15-16. In these verses Paul says that he was the foremost of sinners but God did His utmost in patience with Paul so he could show the difference it made to be forgiven. This was an encouragement to Timothy, to remind him of what God had done and how Timothy was to respond by remembering the difference that God makes.

In the gospel reading there was great rejoicing at the finding of the coin and the sheep.  The women told all her neighbours who rejoiced with her. This sounds like a weak excuse for a party, it is this rejoicing which stands out. A lost coin which is found becoming an excuse to make your neighbours come and rejoice with you. The shepherd getting people to rejoice over the sheep makes more sense. 

Perhaps the point is that the rejoicing completes the search. The beginning of the stories are things being lost, then comes the search and then the rejoicing. Paul had been lost but after his experience at Damascus (Acts 9:1-9) he came to believe in Jesus and so there was rejoicing. We are found, we are in relationship with God but do we rejoice enough? Sometimes we can take for granted the hunt and search of God for us. The search only happens so we will turn to Him, and what a great reason to rejoice!