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Gospel: Luke 15: 1-10
The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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We all know the frustration of losing something – and the joy of finding it again.
Maybe it was a pair of sunglasses or car keys. Or something much more important – a child, a wedding ring, a winning lottery ticket.
Whenever we lose something, it controls all of our thoughts and takes all of our energy until we find it again.
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That’s the type of desperation described in today’s Gospel.
A shepherd loses a sheep.
A woman loses a coin.
That second example is particularly relatable. There are many reasons why this woman may have been searching for her coin.
But more than likely, that coin was the difference between her family starving or eating that day. For most people in Jesus’ day, a drachma – that little coin – was worth an entire day’s wage.
You can imagine how relieved – and joyful – that woman felt when she found it.
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This is the type of joy we bring to God when we repent. The Lord isn’t focused on why we were lost; rather, that we’ve been found.
Am I in need of the Lord’s forgiveness?
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“There will be rejoicing among the angels of God,” Jesus says, “over one sinner who repents.” You might say, over one coin that’s been found.
If we’ve been putting it off, perhaps it’s time to come home.
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Image credits: (1) JoshFults.com (2) Hampton Roads Church (3) Return of the Prodigal Son, Rembrandt