Luke 15:1-32
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father.
"But 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.
21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Luke 19:9-10
Jesus Seeks and Saves Those Who are Lost
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
St. Luke writes three stories, that are right in a row and are about getting lost...If faith in life is a journey then some days the journey is better than other days, at least for me...My Spiritual journey in life has had this tendency at times to drift, get lost, and have doubts...So some of the time my faith is not as strong as I would like, and I feel a little or alot lost...Yet, these consecutive stories of being lost and about the Lost Sheep, and the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son are there for a reason...Jesus is divinely wise, organized and does everything for a reason or reasons...And in these stories, He is telling us as much about (or more about) His Father, as He is about telling us how we drift and get lost in our faith...
We do and can get lost...Our faith can become weaker on days or weeks at a time, but the Holy Spirit is still in us...And if we look at these stories from the heaven perspective, we may see something a little bit different...God wants us found, He wants us to be with Him...After we study these parables, there is no doubt, He wants us, and wants us found and to be with Him...Yes, we are ones getting lost in our faith journey, but in the Parable of the Lost Sheep it is God who is eagerly looking for us...And when He finds us, He is rejoicing in heaven...In the Parable of the Lost Coin, He is again eagerly looking for us the lost, and when He finds us, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God...And in the Parable of the Lost Son, it is He who runs eagerly to His lost and drifted son...It is He who throws His arms around His son...It is God who kisses His son because He is home...And He hasn't even ask the young lost son (yet) if he plans on staying...And it is God who wants and prepares the great feast for His lost son...
Our Father understands apart and lost from Him and His Son, we can do very little -if anything...And, of course, God does these things out of LOVE...We do not have to produce so many widgets to get to heaven...We do not have to be successful to find Him...We do not have worry that we will please Him...We are His children...HE IS THE ONE WHO WANTS US FOUND, AND TO BE WITH HIM!!!...The lost son did not run to Him, He runs to the lost son...The lost son does not throw his arms his Father...The Father throws His arms around His lost son...It is God who is rejoicing...He is the One filled with compassion...It is God who wants to feast...So when and as we drift in life from our faith, He is looking for us...He knows we get lost, and most of the these times it is the choice and choices we have made...That is why Jesus says I have come to seek the lost and to save the lost -He knows what we do and can do...Jesus and His Father both LOVE us...These stories are stories of LOVE (as much as they are about being lost)...He and His Father want us found and to be with Them, and to be LOVED...