LOST AND FOUND

In Luke 15 we are given three parables that speak about things lost – a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. All three of these parables are in response to the fact that the Pharisees did not like that Jesus received sinners and ate with them. Though we often examine these parables from the point of view of the thing being sought, Jesus’ focus was on the seeker.

First, he focuses on a shepherd who has lost one of his 100 sheep. He easily could have said, “oh well, it’s just one.” Instead, the shepherd leaves the 99 to pursue the one. Second, there is a lost coin. This time it is a lady that’s lost one of her ten coins. Again, she could have said, “at least I still have nine.” Instead, she lit a lamp, swept the house, and searched diligently until she found it. And finally, there is the man who lost one of his two sons. He easily could have given up on the lost son, been embittered by his rebellion and moved on. However, everything in this story indicates that this dad hoped for his son’s return each and every day.

All of these stories are beautiful as they shed light on how desperately God will seek out His own. While each of these stories are significant, the story of the prodigal son is the one that really speaks to me. What speaks to me about this story is that it records that, “while he [the son] was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

How does a father see his son while he is a long way off unless he is looking for him? While this is simply a story that Jesus told to get a point across, I can still see that dad, sitting on the porch each morning, staring down that road hoping that today is the day. How many days must he looked only to be disappointed? Maybe he had already given up hope, but out of habit he looks down that road one more time.

Though he had been disappointed a hundred times before, today would be different. Down the road a shadowy figure appears. It couldn’t be? That person looks like him, though he’s a lot thinner than when he left. I think it might be…IT IS, that’s him, he’s come home!

This heart – the heart of this father, the heart of a lady who desperately needs the money she’s lost, the heart of a shepherd who has lost a sheep – this is the heart that we need. A heart that longs to see the lost come to the Father. A heart that prays for the lost to come to the Father. A heart that rejoices, not twitches with jealousy, when one comes to the Father. We need a heart that looks like the heart of our Father.