Pentecost 16 Luke 15:1-10 Finding the Lost
Ezekiel 34:11-24, 1 Timothy 1:12-17
“Now, the tax collectors and the sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
The sinners saw how sin was affecting their lives. A tax collector felt guilty over the excessive amount of money he took from the people. Another tax collector spent his money on all kinds of luxuries, but the pleasure these material things brought him did not seem to last. The thieves and the murderers were tired of having to sleep with one eye open all night long because they were afraid of being caught and thrown into prison.
There were adulterers that realized their search for love and companionship with no strings attached only left them lonelier. There were prostitutes who were sought out in the darkness but shunned in the daylight. Still others had been caught in lies so often that no one believed anything they said. Among them were people who had been called worthless and useless all their lives. Some drank too much or ate too much and were branded as gluttons or drunkards.
These ‘sinners’ hated their sinful lives. They hated the way people avoided or condemned them. But what could they do? Simply put, they were the outcasts of society. They were ensnared in their sinful lifestyles, shunned by most people, and ostracized especially by the Pharisees.
But Jesus did not treat them in such a manner. He truly talked with them. He actually sat down and shared a meal. The Pharisees considered this to be a serious offense against their table fellowship laws. The tax collectors and the sinners knew the risks that Jesus was taking just by sitting and eating with them, so they knew what He had to say to them was important. So they drew near to hear His every word.
Jesus tells us in our Gospel lesson about a couple of lost things that are found resulting in joy and excitement. Things lost were found, and joyous celebrations occur. It doesn’t take long to realize Jesus is talking about lost souls being found and that joy in heaven results from such finding. Such joy is difficult for the Pharisees to take. These are the men who have no time for such frivolity. For the Pharisees, life is comprised of avoiding Satan’s traps and temptations. Sin can lead to God cursing your life. Sin badly enough and you will most certainly die. There is no room for joy and celebration and surely there is no time to waste on those who are lost in sin and degradation.
We see people in our town that we can certainly identify as lost. Go down to the park or to social services or just sit outside on the main street and you will see them. They are people who when they were children dreamed of being policemen, firemen, nurses and ballerinas. But somehow their dreams have been shattered. None of them planned to turn out as they did; no one sets out to be a crack head. Children do not dream of being prostitutes or street thugs. Someone once asked a homeless person how they became homeless. He said, “No one starts out to be homeless. You just look down one day and there you are!” All we can say for certain is that their lives do not reflect the abundant life that Jesus came to offer everyone.
In our congregation we look one day and discover that someone hasn’t been around for a while and we wonder where they went. Some may have simply wandered off, attracted by other interests competing for their time. Others are lost to our church family because of a careless word or thoughtless action. Still others found little joy or felt like there were not accepted. They saw only the condemnation of the law at the worship service; they never received the light of gospel in their hearts.
Imagine that we held all of our worship services at night and that we had no electric lights. Each person would bring a candle and each candle would light a small part of the church. Every time one leaves, the church loses a bit of its light. That light, that gospel light which tells of forgiveness given to all sinners goes unheard by those who have left.
There is great sadness in heaven when one of God’s children wanders away from the family and the church becomes a little darker.
Sometimes we are too much like the Pharisees; looking for reasons why someone is lost, rather than looking for ways to find those who have gone astray. It is easy to spend too much of our energy caring for the ones who are never lost which results in having no time or liveliness left to look for the lost ones. We want to figure out how that person got lost and where to put the blame. But God does not desire our pointing and accusing fingers. Jesus leads by example; He eats with sinners and invites them to trust in God and believe in His salvation. We have a God who is so overjoyed when one sinner repents that He cannot contain the joy. If you really want to please God, help find those lost souls.
During the time of Christ, a shepherd would leave the 99 to look for the one that was lost. Undershepherds would make sure the flock would be safe until the shepherd’s return. They would know where the food was, how to stay together, how to get home to safety. They were safe in the fold.
These parables are filled with grace and hope for all of us. It is easy for sheep to wander away with no intention of getting lost, but when we look up from our feverish life, we have no idea where we are or how we got there. We live in a world that tells us we are of value only as consumers and by the amount of goods or services that we produce. We are lost when we begin to believe so. We only know that we somehow got lost. Gathering together and receiving His gifts of grace keep us from becoming lost.
Our lives are not measured by how many possessions we have or how much money we make, but by our value in the eyes of God. God’s economy places people above all these things. When we see God looking for us, God jumps for joy and throws a party. God has been searching for us even when we did not know we were lost, even when we did not think we needed to be found. The moment of grace for us, the moment the gospel breaks into our lives is when we realize that we too are sinners, lost more often than not. God is continually looking for you and me. God is continually carrying us back to His flock.
Today we gather as God’s children, joining the celebration for those who were lost and are now found. We all join in a party giving thanks to God for bringing into His fold. We gather with others knowing that we do not deserve to be in God’s presence but find ourselves welcomed with wide open arms. We gather in this place where Jesus sets a feast for us, those who once were lost.
We need do nothing, only come into His presence. God has done everything for us – God sent His one and only Son to look for us and to die on the cross for our sins. He looked for us and has found us and now God is throwing a party. And to our surprise, even though we are still sinners, we are the honored guests. We are also the ones that are sent out with joy and energy to help in the search for others who remain lost to rescue those who are still lost.
Six years ago this month many people escaped the disaster at the world trade center. They realized the danger they were in and did something about it. Many others lost their lives, and we hope and pray that the majority of them were believers in Christ and that they are now in heaven. Many others however, became trapped. They could not find their way out of the darkness and dust that surrounded them. Some of those were rescued by brave men and women who a shined light in through the thick darkness.
They listened for cries of help and gently called out and comforted those who were trapped underneath the concrete and steel. As we watched the disaster unfold, in the midst of all of that suffering, destruction and death, there were shouts of joy. When a person was found alive and carried to safety, everyone rejoiced.
You can shine your spiritual light out among the clouds and thick darkness and give someone hope and joy. Won’t you please help find the lost? In Jesus Name, Amen.