This entire chapter is about the “Lost and Found.”

Verses 1-2 After the crowds of Jews left, we find Jesus hanging out with heathens and outcasts, conversing, and sharing the gospel. They are eager to hear his instructions. Jesus is encouraging them to repent and reform their lives.

Forgiveness Is For All

The Pharisees hated how loved Jesus is by tax collectors and sinners. Religious leaders despised this crowd and avoided them. They thought only Jews had the privilege of repenting and being forgiven for their sins. Angry at the level of grace Jesus gives to the outcasts, the Pharisees thought Jesus sunk to a new low keeping this kind of company. In their eyes, He has no dignity left. If He is serious about keeping the law, the Pharisees think Jesus should spend his time with fellow religious men.

Jesus gets no pleasure watching sinners ruin their lives. He rejoices, in fact, over the return and repentance of each one. There is more joy and more glory in heaven when unbelievers repent than to watch believers continue on in worship of God.

The Lost Sheep

Verses 3-6 Jesus has a lesson to teach these men who claim to be concerned about God and people’s hearts. In the parable, Jesus tells, there is a shepherd who owns a hundred sheep but lost one. Jesus asks, “wouldn’t the man leave the ninety-nine and search for the missing one?” The answer he expects them to say is “yes.” Of course, the shepherd would search for his lost sheep. Once found, he’d even hold a party and call everyone to rejoice with him over it. Jesus clearly considered this to be the most natural response to finding a lost lamb.

Lost People

Verse 7 This is how God cares for his lost people, who are like sheep who have gone astray. A lost person wanders endlessly in fear, exposed to the enemy. Jesus, who cares for all his sheep, protects his believing flock while He follows backsliding sinners with the calls of his Word and the pulls of his Spirit until they turn their ways around. But worried and worn out from their wandering, they have little strength to come home. With tenderness, Jesus hoists the lost sheep on his shoulders and carries them home.

When we surrender our sinful state to Jesus, he bears the burdens and pain on his shoulders. He carries us and comforts us all the way home. Jesus rejoices he found what he was searching for. He calls his friends and neighbors to tell them about the return.

Leaving the 99

Think about that for a minute. The value of one lost soul is more than the entire human race of believers because if a believer dies, they are safe in heaven’s gates. As a believer, our future is secure with Jesus. But the lost have no security. They are gambling their lives every day without Jesus.

Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance. Hanging out with safe sheep when one is missing is as absurd as hanging out with only righteous people when you want to urge lost people to repent or to encourage wandering believers to be restored to the Father. If you want to rescue the lost, you’ve got to go where they are. Sinners who repent, wandering saints who return, experience restored fellowship with God, and heaven rejoices. The Pharisees and scribes should have rejoiced too.

The Lost Coin

Verse 8-10 Jesus’ second parable was similar that the first. A woman lost one of her ten silver coins. Wasting no time, she went to great lengths to find it. The woman lights a candle to illuminate all the dark crevices. She sweeps the house and diligently looks for the coin.

Are we this diligent? Do we turn our neighborhoods upside down looking for the lost? Do we walk into a grocery store with eyes to see the lost or is our focus too narrow and can only see our agenda?

Lost & Found

This woman represents God in search of his lost children. He uses various means and methods to bring lost souls home to himself. Diligently, he seeks with the light of the gospel and shows us the way to him. He sweeps through our hearts with convictions of the word.

When the woman found her coin, she called her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her. The principle is the same as in the previous parable. Heaven gets excited to see one sinner who repairs their relationship with God through repentance. The Lord goes to great lengths to see salvation and restoration take place in a sinner’s life. The more lost a person is and the more sin the sinner has, the greater the mercy and rejoicing when they turn from their ways. God rejoices in his works of grace.

There is more joy in the conversion of sinners than in the praises and devotion of believers. For instance, when we get sick, we are so eager and joyful to be healed and healthy again. But when we are healthy, we don’t rejoice as much for the continuation of the health we already have.

Grace manifested

How does this apply to the audience Jesus was talking to? God is more praised in and pleased with the sorrowful, broken heart of despised sinners than all the long prayers of scribes and Pharisees, who saw nothing wrong in themselves.

There is more joy for the conversion of one such great sinner, like Paul, the Pharisee of Pharisees, than for the regular conversion of someone who had always behaved decently, and comparatively needs no repentance, needs not such a universal change of the life as those great sinners need.

Many times, those who have been great sinners before their conversion have a greater zeal afterward. And therefore, their work glorifies God. (Galatians 1:24) Those forgiven of much will love much.

Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for grace and mercy that covers my sins and welcomes me home when I turn from my ways and look to you as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You leave the 99 and diligently seek after me. Thank you for the light of your gospel that is a lamp unto my feet and the conviction in your Word that corners me with Truth. Open my eyes to the lost the same way you sought me. Help me be diligent in sharing the gospel and eagerly searching for those who don’t know You. Stir up a desire in me to see heaven rejoice when I give hope to wanderers. Restore your fellowship with family members who have fallen away, Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.