One of my favorite chapters in the Gospels is Luke 15. Jesus tells three parables, the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son (actually both sons were lost, but in different ways.) In each of those parables we see the heart of God revealed in a unique way.
Sheep, I think, tend to wander off – one apparently wandered so far from the flock he became lost. The coin was lost through no fault of its own, someone misplaced it. The son was lost because he willfully walked away from the family in rebellion.
What warms my soul in these three parables is the amazing heart of God. In the parable of the lost sheep, I see God’s love for that single lost soul. Yes, God loves the world so much that He sent His Son to redeem it, but God loves me and you. He noticed when we weren’t where we should be and came looking for us.
In the lost coin parable, I see God’s persistence. That woman swept the house, diligently searching for that lost coin. She wasn’t going to give up until it was found and back in her possession. Neither is our Father God giving up on us.
And of course, in the lost sons parable, I see the yearning in the heart of God for all His children to be with Him, whether they had squandered everything given them and were returning destitute to Him, or whether they had a loveless, legalistic relationship with Him that kept their hearts far from His. He wants them all!
What compassion God has for His children. He notices when one of us is missing. He diligently searches until that missing one is found. He greets those who will return with expressions of love and delight.
“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” [Luke 15:20]
