One Lost Coin
read›
Luke 15:8
Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin (v.9).
Where’s that brown envelope I left on the kitchen
table?” I asked my daughter. “On the dining
room table,” she said. It wasn’t on that table,
so I began a frantic search throughout the entire house—
from the kitchen to the bedrooms—for the misplaced
envelope. Even the trashcans weren’t spared from the
scrutiny. What was the big fuss over a lost envelope?
Inside were two $1,000 bills.
Many sermons have been preached about the lost
sheep (Luke 15:3-7) and the lost son (vv.11-24). Being
the shortest of the three stories, the lost coin is often
overlooked.
A woman had lost one of her ten silver coins. She lit
“a lamp and [swept] the entire house and [searched]
carefully until she [found] it” (v.8). One silver coin (Greek
drachma) is worth about 30 cents (US) today. Like the
Roman denarius (Matthew 20:2), however, it was the
equivalent of one day’s salary for a common laborer.
The loss of a day of pay would certainly warrant a
deliberate, extraneous, relentless search. So when the
woman recovered her lost coin, she called all her friends
and neighbors together for a party. The recovered coin
had significant value, and now it had been found!
Most of us would sweat the loss of 8 or so hours’ pay.
The woman in the parable did, for she knew the value of
the coin. It was precious to her.
We’re of great value to God—more than we can imagine. He spares no effort
in searching for those who are lost (Luke 15:8-10), and He takes great delight
when He finds us (v.9). Recovering you and me is a source of great joy to Him
(v.10)!
—K.T. Sim
more›
Read Luke 19:1. Why would Jesus tell Zacchaeus that “the Son of Man came to seek and save those who arelost”? (v.10). Who are the “lost”?
next›
How does God’s relentless love for you encourage and challenge
you today?
