The Woman Who Lost Her Silver
“Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:8-10
Do you know what the woman in the Bible with 10 pieces of silver did when she lost one piece? She went to any lengths to find it. She lit a candle to light her way. It must have been dark. Even in the dark she wanted to find it. She didn’t want to wait until it was light. She swept the house to make sure she covered every nook and cranny to make sure she didn’t miss it. She sought “diligently” to find it. She was bound and determined to find it. And she did. In fact she celebrated with others when she found it. How many of us go to any lengths to find something we have lost that is incredibly precious to us? How many of us will go to any lengths to help someone who is lost, broken, downtrodden, desperate, and in exceeding need to turn away from his or her life of sin and to place his or her trust in Christ as Lord? How many of us will light our candles, get out our brooms, and search diligently in the midst of this perishing world to help people hear, believe in, and to follow forever the Lord Jesus Christ? How many of us are standing at a far-away distance like the Pharisees in the Bible who judged Jesus for spending time with the publicans and sinners who needed to repent, believe in Christ, and turn to God and His ways? How many of us are too busy looking for wealth and pleasure, entertainment, comfort, and earthly treasures to reach out with humility and love to a lost and dying world to proclaim the only way to eternal life is to turn from our sins, to believe Christ died for us, and to commit our lives unto God almighty Creator of the universe?
Jesus used this story to teach us there is celebration in heaven over one person who turns away from wickedness and commits to live for God forevermore. That one lost piece of silver represents the broken person in this world in dire need of Christ whom far too many of us are pride-fully keeping our distance from because that person may be homeless, poor, a criminal, dying, dirty, smelly, foreign, hopeless, suicidal, disabled, a drunk veteran, a high transvestite, different, loud, depressed, mean, hurtful, hurting, just raped, a rapist, etc. This world is dying, Christ is the only answer, and we need to light our candles, get out our brooms, search diligently for those in need, and tell them the Truth about repentance and turning to God forever! Will you?