The Lost has been found! I have misplaced two books and have been looking for at least a week for them. I had a sinking feeling I left them at New Brunswick Bible Institute when I was there for the spring conference. But I was sure I cleaned my room. I didn’t take much and it would show if I left it behind as I left the room. I thought maybe I left them in one of the cars. But I checked. I looked in all the usual spots where I might have left them. I remember them last together so if I found one, I would find the other.
The Bible has a great trio of stories in Luke 15 of lost things. I once heard Billy Graham preaching in Hamilton, ON and this was the text of his message. The Parable of the Lost Son. In each of the passages, something of great value was lost and perhaps the owner had a sinking feeling the item/person would not be found.
The first story concerns a lost sheep. This would have cost the owner quite a bit. Losing a sheep would have meant a lot of money, even though he had 99 other sheep. The second story involves a coin that was lost. Commentators vary as to what the coin’s significance truly was. Some say it was monetary value, others think it was part of a wedding gift given to a bride on her wedding day. The third story is the lost Son who finally came back.
The significance of each of these is the despair at losing one so precious and the joy when the lost has been found. We can truly rejoice when a sinner comes to repentance and becomes a child of God. It is a cause of great rejoicing! I found my books late one night and almost wanted to wake up Bonnie to let her know because I was so relieved. Imagine how much more our Heavenly Father rejoices when one sinner repents.