This past Sunday our pastor was preaching on the parables of lost things. In one story Jesus told of a shepherd who left 99 sheep to go search for one sheep who had strayed from the flock. Jesus follows that story with another one where a woman lost a coin. She tore her house upside down looking for the coin. The primary character in each story is so excited when they find what they lost that they throw a big party with all of their friends. (I have often wondered if the woman spent more money on her party than the coin was worth.)
As I was listening to the sermon, my phone vibrated in my pocket. (Fortunately, I had remembered to put my phone on silent mode that morning.) I sneaked a peak at the message, and read a text - along with a photo - of a diamond pendant that had been found in a pew that morning. Since I was making announcements at the end of the service, I mentioned the discovery and said, “If you lost this piece of jewelry, come meet me at the end of the service.”
As soon as we shared a benediction, a friend and fellow church member came rushing up to me, saying, “I think you have my pendant.” The finder of the pendant approached me at the same time and the lost jewelry was returned to the exuberant owner. In fact, the owner of the pendant could barely hold back the tears, she was so grateful. “This pendant started out as a ring,” she told me. “My husband gave me the ring when our second child was three months old. It was a combination ‘new Momma’ and ‘Happy Birthday’ gift from him. I wore it as a ring for years, then decided to have a local jeweler make it into a pendant. It is one my most prized possessions. I was devastated when I discovered I had lost it.”
Every now and then a Bible story or a sermon comes to life right before our eyes. The pendant was valuable to this woman, far beyond what an appraiser would see. Her diligence in searching for the lost item. Her joy in finding it as she held it close to her heart. That is exactly how God feels about us - you and me and every other person in this world. In the Bible stories of lost things, Jesus says the shepherd and the woman searched “until he/she finds it.” (Luke 15:4, 8) They did not give up until they found what was lost..
God hasn’t given up on you either. Now, that’s a reason to celebrate!
-Dr. Jim Baldwin
Comments