The Lost Can Be Found

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

What is the criteria for finding something or someone who is lost? What does it take for the lost to be found?

If something or someone is to be found, the first criteria is that they are lost. If someone does not believe they are lost, they will never be truly found. If something or someone is to be found, they have to be available to be found, and someone needs to be willing seek them out and to go find them.

Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus seeks out the lost. Jesus spends time with broken sinners, because lost people can be found. It is the religious, who do not think they need to be saved, who are really lost.

Luke tells us, “The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.”’ (Luke 15:1-2, ESV).

Jesus drew crowds of lost people to himself to hear his teachings. Jesus still compels lost people to come to him and to listen to his message of rescue and salvation.

Jesus seeks to find the lost.

The religious people of Jesus’ day were indignant that Jesus would ‘receive sinners and eat with them’. They grumbled that Jesus, a Pharisee and religious leader himself, would spend time with broken and lost sinners.

But Jesus did spend time with the lost, because the lost can be found.

Earlier in Luke’s Gospel account when Jesus was calling Matthew the tax collector to be his disciple, the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at Jesus’ disciples, saying, “‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’” (Luke 5:31-32, ESV).

Jesus spends time with sick and lost sinners, because the lost can be found. Those who do not think they need to be rescued will not allow for their being rescued, or saved—they refuse to be found.

If we are sin sick, we can be healed. If we are broken and lost, we can be mended and found. If we know we are sinners, we can draw near to Jesus and we can be forgiven and saved.

This is why Jesus tells of the parables of the lost things in Luke chapter fifteen. Jesus wants the religious people of his day, and the religious people of our day, to know that God loves to seek and to save the lost.

Jesus wants us to know that if he had one hundred sheep and even one sheep went astray, he would leave the ninety-nine sheep, and he would go find and rescue the one lost sheep.

Jesus wants us to know that if he had ten coins, and if he lost even one coin, he would light a lamp and sweep every square cubit of his house to find his singular lost coin.

Jesus wants us to know that if he had only two sons and one of them wished he was dead, and squandered his birthright on cheap thrills and pleasures, and threw away his life and his family, he would welcome that son home with open arms, a kiss, a robe, a ring, some music, a fatted calf, and a great big party—if he would just return home to him.

Jesus also wants us to know that if he had a self-righteous and self-entitled son, who was prideful and arrogant, and materially minded, he would remind that son that he was welcome to have everything that he has, and that he too could come into the party and enjoy the father’s presence—if he would only see that he too was lost—so that he could be found and welcomed into the father’s feast.

Wherever we see ourselves in the parables of the lost things, may we see that we are lost, and come to Jesus to be found by him. May we allow Jesus to seek us and find us, May we be swept up by Jesus’ salvation, may we return to him, so that he can run to us, and may we leave our dead works based righteousness behind, so that we too may enter into the father’s party and feast with the rest of the saved sinners.

In Christ alone, Robbie

A Collect For Mission, III: “Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the Cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 2019).

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash