Lost And Found
Preaching
Preaching The Parables
Series III, Cycle C
1. Text
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. [2] And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."
[3] So he told them this parable: [4] "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? [5] When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. [6] And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' [7] Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
[8] "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? [9] When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' [10] Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Jesus responds to the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes about his association with sinners and tax collectors by telling two parables.
Second Point Of Action
Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep.
Third Point Of Action
The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to search until finding the one lost.
Fourth Point Of Action
Upon finding the lost sheep, the shepherd gathers together friends and neighbors to celebrate.
Fifth Point Of Action
Jesus makes the "Just so" analogy with God's joy over one repentant sinner.
Sixth Point Of Action
Jesus tells the parable of the lost coin.
Seventh Point Of Action
The woman who has lost one of her ten coins lights a lamp, sweeps the floor, searching until she finds the coin.
Eighth Point Of Action
Upon finding the lost coin, the woman gathers together friends and neighbors to celebrate.
Ninth Point Of Action
Jesus again makes the "Just so" analogy with God's joy over one repentant sinner.
3. Spadework
(Leave In The) Wilderness
Upon first consideration, one wonders about the foolish dimension of risking the loss of all the sheep for the sake of trying to save one. In presenting the story with "Which one of you does not [do this]?" Jesus presumes that those he addressed took care of their treasures. Even the youngest of shepherds, David, knew enough not to leave sheep unattended. If the shepherd in the present parable cared enough to go in search of one lost sheep, he also would have provided a keeper for the rest of the flock.
When the battle broke out, David, the youngest son of an aging father, was left in charge of caring for his father's sheep. Prior to his encounter with Goliath, David left the sheep with a keeper and went back and forth between the sheep and the battleground taking food there as his father had instructed. Despite David's provision for the sheep, the family's livelihood, his oldest and perhaps jealous brother still accused him of being irresponsible. (See 1 Samuel 17.)
The issue is the same for spending money so that all members of a confirmation class, including a youth with spina bifida, will be welcome to approach the chancel to serve as acolyte. The issue is the same for removing a section of a pew so a grandmother who uses a wheelchair can sit with the rest of her family instead of in the back. The issue is the same for converting a pulpit so a minister who lives with the effects of early polio can avoid preaching from a folding chair.
Is the cost-effectiveness, the money, or the intrinsic value of each person of greatest importance? The issue is the same. Accessibility action that makes a church a welcoming church happens when that church recognizes and honors the preciousness of one among its members.
The wilderness of societal attitudes is a potentially physically dangerous and spiritually lethal place that can cause aimless circling and wandering. Wilderness can "close in on" those caught in even its subtlest forms of injustice. "Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, 'They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them' " (Exodus 14:3).
Consider the impact of the geographical wilderness upon the lives of the Hebrew people that causes "wilderness" to appear 206 times in Hebrew Scripture. New Testament usage includes 33 occasions. The wilderness can be treacherous. "[God] who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good" (Deuteronomy 8:15-16). See also Numbers 21:5
Like the shepherd, God enters the wilderness and is aware of our goings on: "[A]nd in the wilderness, where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled until you reached this place" (Deuteronomy 1:31). "Surely the Lord your God has blessed you in all your undertakings; he knows your going through this great wilderness" (Deuteronomy 2:7).
Whenever those with the capacity to empower one who suffers an injustice step into that wilderness, the issue that brought the suffering one into the wilderness begins to resolve. See also Deuteronomy 29:5 and 32:10.
Beyond the shepherd metaphor of Psalm 23, the following Psalm segments reflect this image of God's protective, sustaining care: "Then he led out his people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock" (Psalm 78:52) and "He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid" (Psalm 78:53).
Lost And Found
Both singer and prophet use the lost sheep metaphor: "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, / for I do not forget your commandments" (Psalm 119:176). Jeremiah suggests that the straying was intentional and caused by the shepherd rather than through the wandering of an innocent lamb: "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains; from mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fold" (Jeremiah 50:6).
Where, one asks, is the line between innocent wandering and cognizance of misguided leadership? "But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved" (Hebrew 10:39).
Should the lamb who strays and becomes lost be let go for the sake of the flock or any other reason? Ezekiel chides the "shepherds" of Israel: "You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them" (Ezekiel 34:4). In contrast, "For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out" (Ezekiel 34:11) and "I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice" (Ezekiel 34:16).
Jesus continues the metaphor as his mission: "For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). When he was approached by the Canaanite woman with the sick child, he refused her at first, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24).
Was it Christ's profound respect for all things, even leftover food from feeding the masses, that kept him focused on no one or nothing being lost? "When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, 'Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost' " (John 6:12). "So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost" (Matthew 18:14).
In the Johanine prayer of Christ with God, he told God that he had kept his promise to fulfill scripture. He had protected, guarded, and kept from being lost all the disciples except the one who "was destined to be lost." (See John 17:12.)
Referring to the condition of the soul, the "lost and found" phrase appears twice in the parable of the Prodigal Sons in Luke 15. (See Cycle C, Parable 4.) Those who have been lost know its desperation, helplessness, and sense of permanence. "And I said: 'Woe is me! I am lost' " (Isaiah 6:5) and, as if thrown into a pit, "[W]ater closed over my head; I said, 'I am lost' " (Lamentations 3:54). "The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your dainties and your splendor are lost to you, never to be found again!" (Revelation 18:14).
One wonders if the couplet parables of The Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin were designed to be inclusive, that is, the former happened to a man and the later to a woman. The quiet messages -- the struggle and its resolution, losing and finding -- belong to all. Everyone counts, the one lost and the one who finds.
For additional study of "lost and found," see "Seek/Find" in Cycle C, Parable 7, The Midnight Friend, and "Lose Heart" in Cycle C, Parable 17, The Uncaring Judge.
Pieces Of Silver
The woman had ten pieces of silver. Were these to have lasted her lifetime, or would she have to refrain from buying prescription drugs? Silver coins were used for larger transactions. Judas Iscariot's payment for betraying Jesus was thirty pieces of silver. This phrase occurs thirteen times in scripture. The four references to "pieces of silver" in the New Testament are in Matthew. They refer to the betrayal money.
The three biblical references to "coin" appear in the writings of Luke and Matthew. Three of the five biblical references to "coins" also are in the Synoptic Gospels. In addition to the present text, Mark 12:42 and Luke 21:2 refer to the "two small copper coins" the poor widow gave.
Rejoice
Rejoice (rejoices, rejoiced, rejoicing) and joy are familiar biblical words. Of the 362 references, 44 appear in the Gospels. Let us look at the occasions for using the word "rejoice" in the Synoptic Gospels.
For the writer of Luke, Christianity is a religion that smiles. The compassionate Luke also knows how to uplift with rejoicing. He must have contained much joy within his spirit. The first Lukan reference refers to the angel's announcement to Zechariah about the coming birth of John to Elizabeth. The attitude and response: "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth" (Luke 1:14).
In the Lukan Beatitudes, those whom others hate, exclude, revile, and defame because of the Son of God are to "rejoice in that day and leap for joy" (Luke 6:23). Similarly in the Beatitudes according to Matthew, the persecuted are to "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:12). Luke would have us rejoice that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20), when the lost sheep, the lost coin and the younger prodigal son are found.
Looking at "rejoices," again in Luke with the Magnificat, Mary rejoices: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46-47). Both Mary and Zechariah may well have quaked with uncertainty at the news of their unexpected babies. Their, and our, response of choice in our faith albeit conditioned by nudging from an angel is positive, rejoicing. Matthew 18:13 and Luke 15:5 use "rejoices" in reference to the lost sheep parable.
Luke is home to the one occasion of "rejoicing" in the Synoptic Gospels: "When [Jesus said it was more important to set free a woman from the bondage of her crippling than not to do so on the Sabbath], all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing" (Luke 13:17).
The two usages of "rejoiced" also appear in Luke: When Elizabeth gave birth, "[h]er neighbors and relatives ... rejoiced with her" (Luke 1:58) and Jesus thanked God and "rejoiced in the Holy Spirit" (Luke 10:21).
With seventeen appearances in the Synoptic Gospels, "joy" occurs six times in Matthew, once in Mark, and ten times in Luke. For Lukan references to "joy," see Luke 1:14, 1:44, 2:10, 6:23, 8:13, 10:17, 15:7, 15:10, 24:41, and 24:52. See also Matthew 2:10, 13:20, 13:44, 25:21, 25:23, and 28:8; and Mark 4:16. While from these scriptures one notices that rejoicing is both solitary and communal, in the present parables rejoicing needs a friend or seven as both finders say, "Rejoice with me."
Shoulders
Twenty of the 22 references to "shoulders" occur in Hebrew Scripture. While tossing a lamb over the shoulders offers a practical and safe way to move a lamb any distance, the phrasing of the text, "lays it on its shoulders," emphasizes the gentle, tender carrying of the sheep. Was this the place for protecting what is most precious? The most holy items that would go in the tabernacle were to be carried on the shoulders rather than in the wagons. (See Numbers 7:9.)
The shoulders image appears in Deuteronomy. "Of Benjamin [Moses] said: The beloved of the Lord rests in safety -- the High God surrounds him all day long -- the beloved rests between his shoulders" (Deuteronomy 33:12). See also Deuteronomy 1:31 above. The Messiah passage in Isaiah again uses shoulders as an image of having, being given, or taking on responsibility. (See Isaiah 9:6.)
Welcome
Welcome is a New Testament word, having been used only twice in Hebrew Scripture. Jesus was a welcoming person. Speaking to the Romans, Paul put Christ's welcoming nature into perspective: "Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God" (Romans 15:7).
Having traveled from town to town in his ministry, Jesus knows the importance of feeling welcome. The crowds welcomed Jesus as did Mary and the Galileans. (See Luke 8:40, 9:11, and 10:38; and John 4:45.) When you feel welcome, he told the seventy who were to go before him, "Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you' " (Luke 10:8-9).
Jesus also knows how it feels to be unwelcome. He instructed his disciples and the seventy appointed later what to do when they were not welcome. "But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near' " (Luke 10:10-11). See earlier, Luke 9:5.
Jesus does not discriminate in his welcoming. He welcomes all to the table, the sinner, the undesirable, the person with disability, everyone. He would view our actions toward every other person and particularly toward those who are disadvantaged or in trouble as reflecting how we would treat him. "[A]nd [Jesus] said to them, 'Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest' " (Luke 9:48). See also Matthew 10:40, 18:5; and Mark 9:37.
Feeling welcomed has a transforming effect. Suddenly one counts. Suddenly one gains or regains possibility. The tax collector named Zacchaeus, receiving the affirming welcome of Jesus, in turn "hurried down and was happy to welcome him" into his home. (See Luke 19:5-7.)
Negatively put, "I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me" (Matthew 25:43). In positive words, "... for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me ... And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you...?" (Matthew 25:35-39).
4. Parallel Scriptures
Tax Collectors And Sinners
The writers of the Synoptic Gospels wanted readers to know that Jesus associated with more than a few tax collectors and sinners. Luke refers to "all the tax collectors and sinners" (Luke 15:1), while Mark says, "many tax collectors and sinners" (Mark 2:15). Again, Luke says, "a large crowd of tax collectors and others" (Luke 5:29).
Heralding life in the realm of God, Jesus comments about numerous others who follow because they have faith, as well as those who do not believe: "Jesus said to those who followed him, 'Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven' " (Matthew 8:10-11).
In the present parable the Pharisees and scribes say, presumably to one another, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:2). At Levi's house, the Pharisees pose a question to the disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (Mark 2:16b).
Lost Sheep Parable
Luke's version is about twenty words longer than that of Matthew and is more personal. Immediately involving the reader, Luke begins, " 'Which one of you, having ...' " (Luke 15:4). Matthew keeps the reader at a distance. He begins, " 'What do you think? If a shepherd has ...' " (Matthew 18:12).
Luke presupposes that the shepherd will find the lost sheep, saying, " 'When he has found ...' " (Luke 15:5). Matthew follows on his "If a shepherd" with "And if he finds it" (Matthew 18:13).
Luke places the search in the wilderness (Luke 15:4). For Matthew, it is "on the mountains" (Matthew 18:12). Luke uses "lost" throughout the parable while Matthew chooses "gone" or went "astray" until verse 14. Luke says, "go after" (Luke 15:4) and Matthew says "go in search of" (Matthew 18:12). Luke emphasizes the shepherd's persistence with "until he finds it" (Luke 15:4), while the less optimistic Matthew says, "And if he finds it" (Matthew 18:13). Only Luke shows the shepherd's additional act of compassion, "he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices" (Luke 15:5).
Both writers agree that there will be rejoicing; however, only Luke reports that the shepherd "calls together his friends and neighbors" to help him celebrate (Luke 15:6).
Luke uses the "Just so," which he couplets in the parable of The Lost Coin, to speak of the rejoicing in heaven. (See Luke 15:7.) Matthew says, "So" (Matthew 18:14). Luke says, "Just so, I tell you," where Matthew says, "truly I tell you" (Matthew 18:14).
Luke states the conclusion in positive terms, "there will be" (Luke 15:7). Whereas Matthew uses the negative "it is not the will ... that" (Matthew 18:14). With Luke's exuberance, the shepherd, the friends and neighbors, and "in heaven" all find joy. Matthew speaks only of the shepherd's rejoicing. Luke makes the connection with sinners who repent. Matthew says only, "one of these little ones" (Matthew 18:14).
5. Chat Room
Retiree: I thought churches were to be caring places. What is more precious to God than God's creation? Look at the shepherd who considered each sheep in the flock enough of a treasure to leave the others in search of that sheep.
Church Member: Churches are like anything else. It is easier, more fun, more efficient to spend time and effort and certainly budgeted money on what will benefit the whole rather than just one person who needs something.
Retiree: That's just the point. A church consists of people one by one. A church is a place of relationship. As we parishioners age and are less able, we feel phased out.
Church Member: Is not that as it should be? You have had your turn at leadership. You have put in your time. Let yourself rest now. Give the younger ones a chance.
Retiree: Churches are not we-they places, the younger and the older. We are people, people in relationship. We in our later years have not lived all these years for ignorance. We are still human treasures, a wealth of quiet perspective here to be tapped. We still count. As our spiritual and physical needs change, part of the work of the church is watchful awareness and anticipation of those changes. We are letting go of our former identities, to be sure, but we also are still discovering ourselves. We are still learning to listen to God's plan for us. God is still finding us.
Single Dad: Now considering lost coins, both symbolically and literally, I would speak for the single, working parent and for dual-working parents. I'm stuck in a different sort of wilderness. About the best that I can do for my spiritual life is to breath a quick prayer as I drive by my church on the rush to work, but it is still my church.
The parceling out of my time is in a constant state of triage. Finding time is not a matter of turning on a light. There is no spare time for the finding. It's all spent time, spent mostly with worn-out energy.
Church Member: I don't think so. Finding time is like finding enough money. Beyond the extremes of poverty, finding time for what is important is a matter of prioritizing. Nourishing the spirit energizes us for keeping it all in perspective no matter how many directions we go in.
Single Dad: You really don't understand how difficult prioritizing is when making a living, doing the laundry, going to my daughter's volleyball game, and more all have to be done. I don't grouch about it, but I'm too fragmented all the time. Why don't you follow me around for 24 hours? But rest up first and don't plan to sit down for meals. They are all on the run.
Church Member: I really do understand some of it, at least. I juggled different things in different circumstances, but I juggled, too. How can we be the church to you?
Single Dad: I don't know. Part of me doesn't even think about it any more. Part of me misses church and yearns for what once was.
Church: I, the church, am a lost sheep.
Single Dad: Be patient. Hold on. We will find you.
Church: I, the church, am willing to be found. Turn on your light so you can see what you need to be looking for.
Church Member: We have had the lights on dim for too long. We are looking in worn-out places.
Single Dad: There are new places.
Church: Look for me with the intensity of a shepherd searching for a lost sheep. Look for me as that woman looked for the lost coin needed to pay the rent. Search for me and you will find me, the still life-giving church, waiting for your imagination, your sensitivity, your perceptivity, and your open, listening hearts.
Retiree: I will rejoice when we have found you.
Church Member: There will be rejoicing indeed. It will be a new, meaningful life for the church.
Single Dad: It may surprise you, Church, to hear this from me, but you still count. You are still a living treasure, and I still want to be found.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. [2] And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."
[3] So he told them this parable: [4] "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? [5] When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. [6] And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' [7] Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
[8] "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? [9] When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' [10] Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Jesus responds to the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes about his association with sinners and tax collectors by telling two parables.
Second Point Of Action
Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep.
Third Point Of Action
The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to search until finding the one lost.
Fourth Point Of Action
Upon finding the lost sheep, the shepherd gathers together friends and neighbors to celebrate.
Fifth Point Of Action
Jesus makes the "Just so" analogy with God's joy over one repentant sinner.
Sixth Point Of Action
Jesus tells the parable of the lost coin.
Seventh Point Of Action
The woman who has lost one of her ten coins lights a lamp, sweeps the floor, searching until she finds the coin.
Eighth Point Of Action
Upon finding the lost coin, the woman gathers together friends and neighbors to celebrate.
Ninth Point Of Action
Jesus again makes the "Just so" analogy with God's joy over one repentant sinner.
3. Spadework
(Leave In The) Wilderness
Upon first consideration, one wonders about the foolish dimension of risking the loss of all the sheep for the sake of trying to save one. In presenting the story with "Which one of you does not [do this]?" Jesus presumes that those he addressed took care of their treasures. Even the youngest of shepherds, David, knew enough not to leave sheep unattended. If the shepherd in the present parable cared enough to go in search of one lost sheep, he also would have provided a keeper for the rest of the flock.
When the battle broke out, David, the youngest son of an aging father, was left in charge of caring for his father's sheep. Prior to his encounter with Goliath, David left the sheep with a keeper and went back and forth between the sheep and the battleground taking food there as his father had instructed. Despite David's provision for the sheep, the family's livelihood, his oldest and perhaps jealous brother still accused him of being irresponsible. (See 1 Samuel 17.)
The issue is the same for spending money so that all members of a confirmation class, including a youth with spina bifida, will be welcome to approach the chancel to serve as acolyte. The issue is the same for removing a section of a pew so a grandmother who uses a wheelchair can sit with the rest of her family instead of in the back. The issue is the same for converting a pulpit so a minister who lives with the effects of early polio can avoid preaching from a folding chair.
Is the cost-effectiveness, the money, or the intrinsic value of each person of greatest importance? The issue is the same. Accessibility action that makes a church a welcoming church happens when that church recognizes and honors the preciousness of one among its members.
The wilderness of societal attitudes is a potentially physically dangerous and spiritually lethal place that can cause aimless circling and wandering. Wilderness can "close in on" those caught in even its subtlest forms of injustice. "Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, 'They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them' " (Exodus 14:3).
Consider the impact of the geographical wilderness upon the lives of the Hebrew people that causes "wilderness" to appear 206 times in Hebrew Scripture. New Testament usage includes 33 occasions. The wilderness can be treacherous. "[God] who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good" (Deuteronomy 8:15-16). See also Numbers 21:5
Like the shepherd, God enters the wilderness and is aware of our goings on: "[A]nd in the wilderness, where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled until you reached this place" (Deuteronomy 1:31). "Surely the Lord your God has blessed you in all your undertakings; he knows your going through this great wilderness" (Deuteronomy 2:7).
Whenever those with the capacity to empower one who suffers an injustice step into that wilderness, the issue that brought the suffering one into the wilderness begins to resolve. See also Deuteronomy 29:5 and 32:10.
Beyond the shepherd metaphor of Psalm 23, the following Psalm segments reflect this image of God's protective, sustaining care: "Then he led out his people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock" (Psalm 78:52) and "He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid" (Psalm 78:53).
Lost And Found
Both singer and prophet use the lost sheep metaphor: "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, / for I do not forget your commandments" (Psalm 119:176). Jeremiah suggests that the straying was intentional and caused by the shepherd rather than through the wandering of an innocent lamb: "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains; from mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fold" (Jeremiah 50:6).
Where, one asks, is the line between innocent wandering and cognizance of misguided leadership? "But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved" (Hebrew 10:39).
Should the lamb who strays and becomes lost be let go for the sake of the flock or any other reason? Ezekiel chides the "shepherds" of Israel: "You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them" (Ezekiel 34:4). In contrast, "For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out" (Ezekiel 34:11) and "I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice" (Ezekiel 34:16).
Jesus continues the metaphor as his mission: "For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). When he was approached by the Canaanite woman with the sick child, he refused her at first, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24).
Was it Christ's profound respect for all things, even leftover food from feeding the masses, that kept him focused on no one or nothing being lost? "When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, 'Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost' " (John 6:12). "So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost" (Matthew 18:14).
In the Johanine prayer of Christ with God, he told God that he had kept his promise to fulfill scripture. He had protected, guarded, and kept from being lost all the disciples except the one who "was destined to be lost." (See John 17:12.)
Referring to the condition of the soul, the "lost and found" phrase appears twice in the parable of the Prodigal Sons in Luke 15. (See Cycle C, Parable 4.) Those who have been lost know its desperation, helplessness, and sense of permanence. "And I said: 'Woe is me! I am lost' " (Isaiah 6:5) and, as if thrown into a pit, "[W]ater closed over my head; I said, 'I am lost' " (Lamentations 3:54). "The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your dainties and your splendor are lost to you, never to be found again!" (Revelation 18:14).
One wonders if the couplet parables of The Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin were designed to be inclusive, that is, the former happened to a man and the later to a woman. The quiet messages -- the struggle and its resolution, losing and finding -- belong to all. Everyone counts, the one lost and the one who finds.
For additional study of "lost and found," see "Seek/Find" in Cycle C, Parable 7, The Midnight Friend, and "Lose Heart" in Cycle C, Parable 17, The Uncaring Judge.
Pieces Of Silver
The woman had ten pieces of silver. Were these to have lasted her lifetime, or would she have to refrain from buying prescription drugs? Silver coins were used for larger transactions. Judas Iscariot's payment for betraying Jesus was thirty pieces of silver. This phrase occurs thirteen times in scripture. The four references to "pieces of silver" in the New Testament are in Matthew. They refer to the betrayal money.
The three biblical references to "coin" appear in the writings of Luke and Matthew. Three of the five biblical references to "coins" also are in the Synoptic Gospels. In addition to the present text, Mark 12:42 and Luke 21:2 refer to the "two small copper coins" the poor widow gave.
Rejoice
Rejoice (rejoices, rejoiced, rejoicing) and joy are familiar biblical words. Of the 362 references, 44 appear in the Gospels. Let us look at the occasions for using the word "rejoice" in the Synoptic Gospels.
For the writer of Luke, Christianity is a religion that smiles. The compassionate Luke also knows how to uplift with rejoicing. He must have contained much joy within his spirit. The first Lukan reference refers to the angel's announcement to Zechariah about the coming birth of John to Elizabeth. The attitude and response: "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth" (Luke 1:14).
In the Lukan Beatitudes, those whom others hate, exclude, revile, and defame because of the Son of God are to "rejoice in that day and leap for joy" (Luke 6:23). Similarly in the Beatitudes according to Matthew, the persecuted are to "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:12). Luke would have us rejoice that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20), when the lost sheep, the lost coin and the younger prodigal son are found.
Looking at "rejoices," again in Luke with the Magnificat, Mary rejoices: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46-47). Both Mary and Zechariah may well have quaked with uncertainty at the news of their unexpected babies. Their, and our, response of choice in our faith albeit conditioned by nudging from an angel is positive, rejoicing. Matthew 18:13 and Luke 15:5 use "rejoices" in reference to the lost sheep parable.
Luke is home to the one occasion of "rejoicing" in the Synoptic Gospels: "When [Jesus said it was more important to set free a woman from the bondage of her crippling than not to do so on the Sabbath], all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing" (Luke 13:17).
The two usages of "rejoiced" also appear in Luke: When Elizabeth gave birth, "[h]er neighbors and relatives ... rejoiced with her" (Luke 1:58) and Jesus thanked God and "rejoiced in the Holy Spirit" (Luke 10:21).
With seventeen appearances in the Synoptic Gospels, "joy" occurs six times in Matthew, once in Mark, and ten times in Luke. For Lukan references to "joy," see Luke 1:14, 1:44, 2:10, 6:23, 8:13, 10:17, 15:7, 15:10, 24:41, and 24:52. See also Matthew 2:10, 13:20, 13:44, 25:21, 25:23, and 28:8; and Mark 4:16. While from these scriptures one notices that rejoicing is both solitary and communal, in the present parables rejoicing needs a friend or seven as both finders say, "Rejoice with me."
Shoulders
Twenty of the 22 references to "shoulders" occur in Hebrew Scripture. While tossing a lamb over the shoulders offers a practical and safe way to move a lamb any distance, the phrasing of the text, "lays it on its shoulders," emphasizes the gentle, tender carrying of the sheep. Was this the place for protecting what is most precious? The most holy items that would go in the tabernacle were to be carried on the shoulders rather than in the wagons. (See Numbers 7:9.)
The shoulders image appears in Deuteronomy. "Of Benjamin [Moses] said: The beloved of the Lord rests in safety -- the High God surrounds him all day long -- the beloved rests between his shoulders" (Deuteronomy 33:12). See also Deuteronomy 1:31 above. The Messiah passage in Isaiah again uses shoulders as an image of having, being given, or taking on responsibility. (See Isaiah 9:6.)
Welcome
Welcome is a New Testament word, having been used only twice in Hebrew Scripture. Jesus was a welcoming person. Speaking to the Romans, Paul put Christ's welcoming nature into perspective: "Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God" (Romans 15:7).
Having traveled from town to town in his ministry, Jesus knows the importance of feeling welcome. The crowds welcomed Jesus as did Mary and the Galileans. (See Luke 8:40, 9:11, and 10:38; and John 4:45.) When you feel welcome, he told the seventy who were to go before him, "Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you' " (Luke 10:8-9).
Jesus also knows how it feels to be unwelcome. He instructed his disciples and the seventy appointed later what to do when they were not welcome. "But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near' " (Luke 10:10-11). See earlier, Luke 9:5.
Jesus does not discriminate in his welcoming. He welcomes all to the table, the sinner, the undesirable, the person with disability, everyone. He would view our actions toward every other person and particularly toward those who are disadvantaged or in trouble as reflecting how we would treat him. "[A]nd [Jesus] said to them, 'Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest' " (Luke 9:48). See also Matthew 10:40, 18:5; and Mark 9:37.
Feeling welcomed has a transforming effect. Suddenly one counts. Suddenly one gains or regains possibility. The tax collector named Zacchaeus, receiving the affirming welcome of Jesus, in turn "hurried down and was happy to welcome him" into his home. (See Luke 19:5-7.)
Negatively put, "I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me" (Matthew 25:43). In positive words, "... for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me ... And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you...?" (Matthew 25:35-39).
4. Parallel Scriptures
Tax Collectors And Sinners
The writers of the Synoptic Gospels wanted readers to know that Jesus associated with more than a few tax collectors and sinners. Luke refers to "all the tax collectors and sinners" (Luke 15:1), while Mark says, "many tax collectors and sinners" (Mark 2:15). Again, Luke says, "a large crowd of tax collectors and others" (Luke 5:29).
Heralding life in the realm of God, Jesus comments about numerous others who follow because they have faith, as well as those who do not believe: "Jesus said to those who followed him, 'Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven' " (Matthew 8:10-11).
In the present parable the Pharisees and scribes say, presumably to one another, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:2). At Levi's house, the Pharisees pose a question to the disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (Mark 2:16b).
Lost Sheep Parable
Luke's version is about twenty words longer than that of Matthew and is more personal. Immediately involving the reader, Luke begins, " 'Which one of you, having ...' " (Luke 15:4). Matthew keeps the reader at a distance. He begins, " 'What do you think? If a shepherd has ...' " (Matthew 18:12).
Luke presupposes that the shepherd will find the lost sheep, saying, " 'When he has found ...' " (Luke 15:5). Matthew follows on his "If a shepherd" with "And if he finds it" (Matthew 18:13).
Luke places the search in the wilderness (Luke 15:4). For Matthew, it is "on the mountains" (Matthew 18:12). Luke uses "lost" throughout the parable while Matthew chooses "gone" or went "astray" until verse 14. Luke says, "go after" (Luke 15:4) and Matthew says "go in search of" (Matthew 18:12). Luke emphasizes the shepherd's persistence with "until he finds it" (Luke 15:4), while the less optimistic Matthew says, "And if he finds it" (Matthew 18:13). Only Luke shows the shepherd's additional act of compassion, "he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices" (Luke 15:5).
Both writers agree that there will be rejoicing; however, only Luke reports that the shepherd "calls together his friends and neighbors" to help him celebrate (Luke 15:6).
Luke uses the "Just so," which he couplets in the parable of The Lost Coin, to speak of the rejoicing in heaven. (See Luke 15:7.) Matthew says, "So" (Matthew 18:14). Luke says, "Just so, I tell you," where Matthew says, "truly I tell you" (Matthew 18:14).
Luke states the conclusion in positive terms, "there will be" (Luke 15:7). Whereas Matthew uses the negative "it is not the will ... that" (Matthew 18:14). With Luke's exuberance, the shepherd, the friends and neighbors, and "in heaven" all find joy. Matthew speaks only of the shepherd's rejoicing. Luke makes the connection with sinners who repent. Matthew says only, "one of these little ones" (Matthew 18:14).
5. Chat Room
Retiree: I thought churches were to be caring places. What is more precious to God than God's creation? Look at the shepherd who considered each sheep in the flock enough of a treasure to leave the others in search of that sheep.
Church Member: Churches are like anything else. It is easier, more fun, more efficient to spend time and effort and certainly budgeted money on what will benefit the whole rather than just one person who needs something.
Retiree: That's just the point. A church consists of people one by one. A church is a place of relationship. As we parishioners age and are less able, we feel phased out.
Church Member: Is not that as it should be? You have had your turn at leadership. You have put in your time. Let yourself rest now. Give the younger ones a chance.
Retiree: Churches are not we-they places, the younger and the older. We are people, people in relationship. We in our later years have not lived all these years for ignorance. We are still human treasures, a wealth of quiet perspective here to be tapped. We still count. As our spiritual and physical needs change, part of the work of the church is watchful awareness and anticipation of those changes. We are letting go of our former identities, to be sure, but we also are still discovering ourselves. We are still learning to listen to God's plan for us. God is still finding us.
Single Dad: Now considering lost coins, both symbolically and literally, I would speak for the single, working parent and for dual-working parents. I'm stuck in a different sort of wilderness. About the best that I can do for my spiritual life is to breath a quick prayer as I drive by my church on the rush to work, but it is still my church.
The parceling out of my time is in a constant state of triage. Finding time is not a matter of turning on a light. There is no spare time for the finding. It's all spent time, spent mostly with worn-out energy.
Church Member: I don't think so. Finding time is like finding enough money. Beyond the extremes of poverty, finding time for what is important is a matter of prioritizing. Nourishing the spirit energizes us for keeping it all in perspective no matter how many directions we go in.
Single Dad: You really don't understand how difficult prioritizing is when making a living, doing the laundry, going to my daughter's volleyball game, and more all have to be done. I don't grouch about it, but I'm too fragmented all the time. Why don't you follow me around for 24 hours? But rest up first and don't plan to sit down for meals. They are all on the run.
Church Member: I really do understand some of it, at least. I juggled different things in different circumstances, but I juggled, too. How can we be the church to you?
Single Dad: I don't know. Part of me doesn't even think about it any more. Part of me misses church and yearns for what once was.
Church: I, the church, am a lost sheep.
Single Dad: Be patient. Hold on. We will find you.
Church: I, the church, am willing to be found. Turn on your light so you can see what you need to be looking for.
Church Member: We have had the lights on dim for too long. We are looking in worn-out places.
Single Dad: There are new places.
Church: Look for me with the intensity of a shepherd searching for a lost sheep. Look for me as that woman looked for the lost coin needed to pay the rent. Search for me and you will find me, the still life-giving church, waiting for your imagination, your sensitivity, your perceptivity, and your open, listening hearts.
Retiree: I will rejoice when we have found you.
Church Member: There will be rejoicing indeed. It will be a new, meaningful life for the church.
Single Dad: It may surprise you, Church, to hear this from me, but you still count. You are still a living treasure, and I still want to be found.
