Search Party

I think it was on my 10th birthday that I was sick and not feeling well so after opening my presents I fell asleep on the couch in the living room. One of the presents I got was a yellow and black sport watch that I was excited to get, and so before I fell asleep I put the watch on.

When I woke up, you probably guessed it, I could not find the watch anywhere. I was extremely confused that a watch could fall off my wrist, but it wasn’t there anymore! Even though I wasn’t feeling well, I felt a bit better after the nap and with the adrenaline of panic in my system I began to search for it. I looked under the couch. I looked on the table and all over the floor. At first I just stuck my hand between the cushions of the couch but then when I still couldn’t find it I threw them off and searched inside the couch. I expanded my search far beyond where it could feasibly be and still I could not find my brand new sport watch. I was freaking out and I had no idea where it went.

Now I bet you’re waiting for the moment where I tell you where it was found, and how excited I was to have found it. But I never found it. I have NO idea what happened to that watch, but I owned it for all of about 15 minutes before I lost it and never saw it again. But that status of gift, the excitement of opening it up as a present from my family, the joy I had at having a new watch was all there and was all running through my mind when it was gone and how fleeting all of it was. I can tell you that there would have been a sense of relief and excitement to have found it again, that my heart would have raced still but it would have also raced for relief at having found what had been lost.

All three stories today have to do with finding things that are lost. In the first parable, it is about a sheep that is lost and the shepherd leaves the 99 to go and find the one, and unlike me he finds the 1 sheep. Now owning a hundred sheep is someone who was doing well and so I can see how on the one hand the person could potentially be very concerned about maintaining all that he had worked hard for. On the other hand it’s 1 out of 99 and I don’t think it would ruin his livelihood if he had lost the one. Not to mention, doesn’t leaving the 99 put them at risk of being lost, stolen, or eaten? What are the 99 to do? It doesn’t say that he put them in a corral or placed someone else to watch over them, it simply says that he left the 99 to search for the one.

Then there is the parable about the woman and the lost coin. Now Jesus specifically says that this is a woman and not a widow. So I think that is important to note because I think that can mean it is potentially less life-threatening to lose the coin, but losing a silver coin is the equivalent to losing a days wage. She had 10 and lost just the 1. Which means they had at least 10 days of wages as a possible cushion for anything they needed. Depending on her situation that could still potentially be a burden for her and her family. So in order for her family to not have to strain for a day to make up for it she works extra hard at finding this lost coin.

Then we have the parable of the lost son. We often call it the prodigal son, but in light of having these three parables next to each other and read that way today I think it’s important to also phrase them in the same manner. Now this story is much more involved than the other two and the the other aspects of it that set it apart are the fact that this is no longer about ‘property’ but about a family member, a son, and that the son willingly gets lost. The sheep doesn’t do it on purpose for the sake of getting away but probably was distracted by grass, or water, or something else. The coin is inanimate so it didn’t get up and walk away, though I swear my watch did! But the son intentionally walks away from his father and brother and leaves to be lost to them. Because this is a person, it is also not just about being physically lost, but about the relationship that is lost as well.

I eventually got over losing my watch, though as you can see it definitely left an impression on me! But how much harder is it to lose a relationship? Whether it was from a situation and words were said in the heat of the moment or two people just grew further apart becuase of time and distance? A lost relationship is much more difficult on us than a lost wage or a lost item. I don’t think I have to really tell you that, but it’s always helpful to name things and accept how difficult they can be. So we can see why later the father is so excited when the son comes back.

Another thing that helps us get perspective when we read all three of these stories together is that we have a progression of ‘things’ from 100 to 10 to 2. As we move through each story we get a smaller number of what stays found and what gets lost. And we end up with the 2 it is the one that is about the relationship and about people’s lives. But no matter the number, there is always 1 thing that is lost and no matter what that thing is that was lost, when it was found there was rejoicing and Jesus tells us in the first two specifically that the parables are about repentance over someone who was lost but came back to the family of God. I feel like using these numbers help us to understand that the focus isn’t on the the actual number of those who are the righteous or the always with us people, but that we should constantly be focused on the lost both in terms of those who have become lost and those who maybe weren’t ever a part of the 100, 10, or 2.

That’s not to say that the 99 don’t matter. But in Luke’s gospel he makes sure that poeple know that Jesus is good with the 99, but is here for the 1. So how do we help Jesus with the 1? How do we go out and frantically search for the ones who are lost? Those who were once with us but have fallen away because of something? And how do we reach out to those who haven’t been a part of the celebration and how do we celebrate with them when they do arrive? What kind of party do we throw? And don’t feel neglected like the other son, though sometimes it’s hard. Jesus loves you and cares for you. Jeuss is so glad that you are a part of the flock, that you are a beautiful coin, and that you are a faithful child. Why else would Jesus have done and gone through all that he went through if not to be overly joyed with us who are here? Rejoice in God’s love for those of us who are here but we also need to be a part of the search party that looks for those who still are in need of God’s tender care. May we join in that search and may we be excited for both those who are found and those of us who are already here. Amen.