Lost Things Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Jesus has just said that you must give up everything to follow Him, but notice it is the tax collectors and sinners who came to Him
1 All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, 6 and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
One is not an acceptable loss
One is not an acceptable loss
The shepherd still had 99 sheep; some would say that is a good day
There are two times this parable is used – here, Jesus is talking about the spiritually lost (those who have never received Jesus)
Matthew 18:12–14 “12 What do you think? If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and search for the stray? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” – the focus in Matthew is on those already in the flock and preventing them from wandering off or perishing.
Finding the one does not take away from the 99 - the shepherd would only go if the others were taken care of and safe
The shepherd would either leave the sheep in the care of another or, if no one else was available, leave them in a safe enclosure.
Not only does Jesus tell us that one person is irreplaceable, but He is also telling us that we are not passive… we must go after the lost and not hope they turn up again.
When the lost are found, they need to be restored
When the lost are found, they need to be restored
The shepherd would carry the sheep on his shoulders to speed up the return to the flock, so the wandering sheep is no longer at risk…he would also carry a sheep that was injured to facilitate healing and to monitor its injuries
8 “Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’ 10 I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
Stop at nothing to find what is lost.
Stop at nothing to find what is lost.
There are a few ideas about the coin's value… they are interesting, but they really do not change anything in the story. A) The value of the coin is about the same as that of a sheep. B) The coin was part of her dowry or a headdress she would wear at her wedding - with a piece missing, she could not get married (I lean toward option B)
In the parable of the sheep that wandered (internal/active), the coin is lost due to circumstances or the environment (external/passive).
Realizing the coin is missing, she lights a lamp and searches the house from top to bottom… she doesn’t just look but clears out the clutter too help find the coin.
As I said, without the complete dowry, she couldn’t get married – when one person is missing, the church is incomplete.
It is not about value… it is about the wholeness of the bride.
Finding what was lost demands celebration.
Finding what was lost demands celebration.
There is a celebration in heaven when sinners repent
Are we grumbling about the “mess” sinners bring, or are we throwing a party when they arrive?
We often talk about 'finding God,' but these stories remind us that we aren't the ones doing the looking. Whether we are like the sheep—wandering away through our own slow, distracted choices—or like the coin—slipped into the cracks of life by circumstances out of our control—the message is the same: We are being pursued.
The Shepherd didn't wait for the sheep to find its way home; He went into the briars and the shadows to carry the burden Himself. The woman didn't wait for the dust to settle; she lit a lamp and disrupted her entire house to uncover what was hidden.
True restoration is never a passive event. It requires the light of truth to expose the dark corners we’ve ignored, and it requires the strength of a Savior to carry us when we’ve run out of our own.
But the story doesn't end with us simply being found; it ends with us joining the search.
As followers of the Shepherd, we are called to leave the comfort of the 'safe' seats and step into the shadows where others are still hurting. We are called to be the ones holding the lamp, patiently sweeping the dust and refusing to accept that anyone is 'too far gone' or 'too lost' to be recovered.
And when that one is finally brought home—carried on the shoulders of grace—we don't just stand by. We join the roar of heaven. We celebrate because the family is more whole than it was yesterday. We celebrate because we know exactly what it feels like to be the one the Shepherd came looking for.
