Party On

Luke 15: 8-10 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Today's passage is yet another parable that Jesus tells just before the parable of the prodigal son. The close proximity of these three stories (the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son) is not an accident. Jesus is clearly trying to teach us something about finding lost people. And the major theme that runs through all three stories is one of rejoicing! Every time the lost item is found, the finder invites their friends and neighbors over and throws a party. 

In the times when you are lost, how do you picture God responding to you? If you're like me, you might imagine him feeling hurt or disappointed or even angry. But Jesus is telling us here that God actually parties when we return. Does this change how you imagine returning to him when you are lost?