Christian Coin

“When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’” (Luke 15:9)

In ancient Palestine, it was common for women to receive ten silver coins as a wedding present. These coins had both monetary value and sentimental value, much like a wedding ring would have today, so to lose even a single coin would be deeply distressing. The woman who had lost the coin would search everywhere until she found it. And our Lord Jesus Christ tells us that just as she would rejoice and celebrate with her friends when the missing coin was found, so too the angels in heaven rejoice and celebrate when one lost sinner repents and turns to God.

Here are a few things to take from this story that will both comfort and challenge you as a “Christian Coin” –

• We were lost because of our sin.
• We had no interest in being found.
• We were the object of a search by the One who wanted us.
• We were found by the One who searched for us.
• We were celebrated over by the One who found us.

Here is an important aspect to the story: Even though the woman still had nine coins in her possession, she went after that one lost coin and would not stop until she found it. God loves us so much and desires deeply for us to be in a right relationship with Him; therefore, regardless of how many other “coins” He has, He still goes after that one lost coin and will not rest until that coin has been found. Why? Because that single lost coin has true value in the eyes of God, and so does every lost sinner. And knowing the heart of the King of kings, the angels in heaven rejoice when even one of those sinner repents.

One final thought: There was a cost for the woman in finding her lost coin. “Does she not light a lamp,” Jesus asked rhetorically, “sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?” (Luke 15:8). First, to light a lamp would be costly simply because of the oil expended. Next, the woman would not merely glance here and there, but rather use a broom to sweep the whole house, searching diligently and intently until the coin was found. Remember, Jesus was making this point to the self-righteousness religious leaders who cared deeply about their own positions of power but showed no concern for those they considered to be unclean sinners. But our loving Lord Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, and He paid the ultimate cost — His precious blood shed on a cross — in order to have them.

Let us this day join the angels and rejoice over all that God has done in our own lives and in the lives of others!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!