Summary: Have you ever experienced the loss of something precious to you? How did you feel? And when you are able to find that which is dear to you, how great a joy and relief you must have felt. Our heavenly Father and Creator, since time immemorial, has been seeking after His children. Will you be found by Him to complete His joy?

There was a man driving in the car with his wife to an unfamiliar destination. He took a while to find the place and his wife asked, “Are we there yet?”

Jokingly, he replied, “I’m bringing you on a joyride. These are the places we’ve never visited before.”

They continued the journey. After some time, his wife asked him the same question again. This time, there was frustration in his voice. He was no longer jovial and light-hearted and we also sense anger in his voice. He wasn’t angry towards his wife but rather blaming everything else. Perhaps the road signs weren’t clear; the roads were poorly designed; things have changed so much he didn’t recognise the place.

They continued the journey. Once again, they still haven’t found the place. In the end, the man had to sheepishly admit his mistake. He did not apologise to his wife but rather took out the road directory. (This was during the days before Google maps or GPS.) if it was today, we would have probably just keyed in the address in the app.

This simple story reflects:

1. The nature of men
   We are people who do not like to be told that we’ve done something wrong even if it’s just a simple mistake on our part. You can say that it is the pride/ego of the man that the moment people point out the shortcoming of ours, we deem it as an attack on our pride. It is as though we’ve lost part of our self-worth and that is why we most of the time refuse to admit our mistakes. Imagine if this man admitted his wrong at the beginning and then sought help. Then, they wouldn’t have wasted so much time in fruitless wandering.

Recently, the speaker read a news article. This happened in September 2020 in the UK regarding an elderly couple who was driving. The man was 96 years old and the woman was 90. Amazingly, they were still able to drive. They were on their way to purchase a caravan. The journey was a supposedly 40 minutes drive but the elderly couple lost their way. Guess how long they were lost? They were lost for 15 hours. They started their journey at 2pm on Sunday and were found at 4:40am by the police. This is amazing - imagine an elderly couple nearing 100 years old driving for 15 hours. It was never mentioned if they stopped by anywhere. If that were the case, then it was even more amazing. The speaker couldn’t even drive for 8 hours. The elderly couple was found by the police because people saw that the car was moving in a drunken manner.

Nevertheless, the story had a happy ending (the police took their license and hence cannot drive from then on). Their family members who later came to know of the story would be very thankful to know that the elderly couple survived this ordeal. Imagine the couple in their advanced age - would they have died in the course of driving due to dehydration? They were not on a long trip but rather on a supposedly short journey of 40 minutes. They probably did not prepare much food and water. Being so old, would they have suffered from health complications during the journey? The moment this elderly couple was found, everyone would be so joyful.

Are we lost in this world?
When we talk about being lost, is it just about not knowing where you’re going? Are we lost because we have not found the Creator - the One who made us? We know that every house has a builder. To say that this world came about because of natural occurrences is hard to believe. We know that this world is so wonderfully and beautifully created - there must indeed be a Creator, someone who made us?

For us Christians, we believe that this Creator is the Lord Almighty. He created us out of love. We are created to be His children. We were created to enjoy the blessings together in the Garden of Eden. It was meant to be an eternal relationship in joy and peace. We know that this relationship was lost because men went astray and we term this as ‘sin’, wrongdoing on men’s part. Ever since then, we’ve lost the image of Christ. But that is not the end of the story. Otherwise, this would be a very sad end.

We know that God came down as men (Jesus Christ) to die for us. When Christ was on earth, He was sharing the love God has for mankind. He shared it on the 3 parables spoke to men (parables are short stories with messages). These 3 parables all had the same message. They are all found in Luke 15:1-32.

The setting was that the Pharisees here weren’t happy with what Jesus Christ was doing (v1-3). To explain Himself, Jesus told the parables.

V4-7: The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Here, the shepherds had 100 sheep. He discovered that 1 was lost and hence led the 99 to look for the lost sheep. After searching, he lost the sheep. When he came home, he said in v6;

‘And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ‘

Jesus explains in v7;

‘I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

V8-10: The Parable of the Lost Coin
Here records of a woman having 10 silver coins. She lost 1 and hence couldn’t rest. It was dark. She lit up a lamp and searched diligently until she found the lost coin. In the same manner in v9-10, she had great joy upon finding the lost coin;

9 ‘And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”’

She told this to all her friends and neighbours. In v10, Jesus emphasised again;

Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”’

V11-32: The Parable of the Lost Son
V11-12;

11 ‘Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. ’ So he divided to them his livelihood. ‘

The younger was perhaps more naughty. Hence he said in v12;

‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. ’ So he divided to them his livelihood. ‘

Subsequently, we read that instead of leading a good life, he splurged his money. After, he had no choice but to live with pigs to the point he had to eat with them. He later woke from his folly and realised that he had to go home - not as a son but as a servant in hopes that he would lead a better life. V20;

‘“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ‘

We see a reunion again between the father and son. Once again, Jesus Christ emphasis about saying in v32;

‘It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”’

When something is told to us several times, the speaker must be earnest about it. In fact, he felt that it was imperative that we receive the message. That is the love God has for His people. People may have gone astray from Him but a great joy will be in heaven when these lost souls return to God.

As we look at these 3 parables, it is interesting to note,

1. Ratio

The first parable was 1 out of 100. The 1 out of 100 is not very significant. If you lost only 1, at least you still have 99.

The second was 1 out of 10.
There was a slightly greater significance. You feel more pain when you lose it.

Lastly, we see 1 out of 2.
We see how precious and loss will be if you lose one of your sons.

1. The examples Jesus Christ used

V4-7: The Parable of the Lost Sheep
The first example used was the sheep. In an agricultural society (then Israel), sheep are a very important commodity. Not only are you able to get wool for your clothing, but you are also able to get food. You can also milk the sheep, and some claim that sheep’s milk is the most nutritious in the world. If you have stomach discomfort or allergies, sheep’s milk is great for that. Here, Jesus Christ is telling us that we’re as precious as sheep.

If we study the relationship the shepherd has with the sheep, we will see that they both live a very intimate life. Shepherds don’t just tend to the sheep. In fact, it is found that sheep are very vulnerable animals. They are defenceless. When faced with an attacker, all they can do is to run away. They would also tend to be close to the other sheep because they know that the only way to survive would be to be grouped together. It is said that the moment you separate a sheep from the rest, the sheep is as good as dead. This is because it is away from the care of the shepherd and would probably die out of loneliness and the dangers of the prey. If you study further, you would find that domesticated sheep need the care of a shepherd. Some websites say that if a sheep is away from its shepherd and the person does not sheer its wool, the wool will become too heavy. Not only that, the sheep would have a lot of diseases. They would have internal worms and swollen feet - this is a very pitiful thing.

When Jesus Christ tells us the parable of our relationship with Him as that of a sheep and shepherd, we will be able to realise how anxious the shepherd is. He knows that the only way the sheep can survive is if it is found. The moment he lets go of the sheep, that is the end of the sheep.

How did the shepherd know that a sheep was missing? If you had 100 sheep, would you notice that 1 was missing? Sometimes in school, it is hard to notice if anyone was missing (unless the student is very naughty). Imagine if the students were not seated for you to do a headcount. Imagine a classroom where the students are running all over. Would you be able to identify which student is missing? A shepherd that is able to realise that 1 out of 100 sheep is missing portrays an intimate relationship. That shows how much God knows us.

V8-10: The Parable of the Lost Coin
In the second parable, we read about how 1 out of 10 coins is lost. Some of us may not think too much about coins - “it’s just money! Why was she so anxious to look for the coin in the middle of the night? Why can’t she wait for the next day to look for the lost coin?”

Some say that this coin was no ordinary coin. In fact, this coin is placed on the headdress of the bride. It is the coin this woman has as a dowry from her husband. In the Middle-Eastern countries, they have coins on the forehead of women. This dowry is likened to a symbol of love from the husband to the wife. When you see that the headdress has something missing, the lady would get anxious. She may be worried about the perception people may have of her - “What if people think that I am unfaithful? That I’ve sold my dowry? Or that I’m not careful with my love item?” In extreme cases, the husband may divorce his wife as a result.

In today’s context, we may find it hard to accept because we are in modern society. In the times of Jesus, it was very important for the woman to maintain her integrity. When she does that, her honour is preserved. This is why she was so anxious to search for the coin and this also explains how anxious God is for us. The Bible describes Christ’s relationship with the church as that of a husband and wife. The husband, because of the great love of his wife, is willing to lay his life for her.

V11-32: The Parable of the Lost Son
The final parable tells us of a son who returned to his father. Sometimes when we read this story, we may think that the son deserves the pain and suffering he went through. We can say that he deserved it - he asked for the inheritance and wasted it all away. How is he so shameless to later return to the father?

We must understand what the story is about - this story is about the love of a father towards his son.
The shepherd who took care of the sheep has so much love for the lost sheep - a shepherd who helped a sheep give birth to the young; when he could handle its life in his hands; when he sees how a frail life from the beginning becomes something grown-up; how the sheep is able to endear himself to the shepherd.

In the same way, for those of us who are parents, our children forever remain as our little ones. We remember how they were born into this world; how they appeared to us first as helpless; we hold them in our hands; they cry and cannot do anything at all; we feed, clothe and do everything for them. As they grow up, we know how frail and helpless they are. They need so much of our care, attention and protection that though they grow up, we know that they forever remain in our care. If they were to turn wayward, are we going to abandon them to let them be? The heart of every parent is to want to do everything for their child(ren). No matter how bad they’ve become, they’re still our flesh and blood. It is always our hope that they turn back to us. That is the heart of God towards us.

Dear all, let us understand the love that God has for us. Sometimes we may doubt if God truly cares for us - why are there still so many hardships, sorrow and pain in this world? We know that this God is willing to die on the cross for us; He took the initiative to come to us; He is preparing a wonderful place for us. In John 14:2-3;

2 ‘In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ‘

It is like how if a loved one had gone overseas for studies. They may have been away for many years. When they return, as parents, what would we do? Wouldn’t we spend a lot of time and effort tidying up the room they used to live in? To make it as though the child was still there? All the loving touches added into the room to make it fresh and welcoming; providing all the necessities so that when he/she comes back, he/she has no worries; so that when the person comes back, he/she feels the love.

In the same way, God is preparing a place for us. In the heavenly kingdom, He is waiting for us to return. We can be sure that the rooms He is preparing for us are the best. Let us look forward to these rooms.

Today we have shared this topic: Lost? And Found. There are much more we can find out about. It is hoped that our friends can find time to search this truth together with us.