Parable of the Lost Sheep & the Lost Coin

Definition of Parable:

Parable signifies in general a comparison, or a parallel, by which one thing is used to illustrate another. It is a likeness taken from the sphere of real, or sensible, or earthly incidents, in order to convey an ideal, or spiritual, or heavenly meaning. As uttering one thing and signifying something else, it is in the nature of a riddle and has therefore a light and a dark side, it is intended to stir curiosity and calls for intelligence in the listener.   The derivation of the Hebrew is unknown.

The Lost Sheep & the Lost Coin

Luke 15:3-10  (see also Matthew 18:12-14)

So he told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, `Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.'  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, `Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.'  Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Explanation/Meaning:

 The parable of the lost coin and the parable of the lost sheep can be linked with the parable of the lost son (see The Prodigal Son).  While each story emphasizes something different from the other, all three depict a seeker in search of something or someone lost.

What can we learn from the lesson of Jesus' parable about a lost sheep? This parable gives us a glimpse of the heart of a true shepherd, and the joy of a community reunited with its lost members. Shepherds not only had to watch over their sheep by day and by night; they also had to protect them from wolves and lions who preyed upon them, and from dangerous terrain and storms. Shepherds often had large flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds or thousands.  It was common to inspect and count the sheep at the end of the day. You can imagine the surprise and grief of the shepherd who discovers that one of his sheep is missing! Does he wait until the next day to go looking for it? Or does he ask a neighboring shepherd if he might has seen the stray sheep? No, he goes immediately in search of this lost sheep. Delay for even one night could mean disaster leading to death. Sheep by nature are very social creatures. An isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered, disoriented, and even neurotic. Easy prey for wolves and lions!

The shepherd's grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold. The shepherd  searches until what he has lost is found. His persistence pays off. What was new in Jesus' teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out time and time again.  How easy to forget and be distracted with other matters while the lost become prey for devouring wolves of the soul. The Apostle Peter reminds us that the "devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).  God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that we be saved and restored to friendship with him. That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God. God is on a rescue mission today to save us from the destructive forces of sin and evil. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, watches over every step we take. Do you listen to his voice and heed his wise counsel? Do you follow the path he has set for you - a path that leads to life rather than death?

The housewife who lost a coin faced something of an economic disaster, since the value of the coin would be equivalent to her husband's daily wage.  What would she say to her husband when he returned home from work?  They were poor and would suffer greatly because of the loss. Her grief and anxiety turn to joy when she finds the coin.

Both the shepherd and the housewife "search until what they have lost is found".  Their persistence pays off.  They both instinctively share their joy with the whole community.  The poor are particularly good at sharing in one another's sorrows and joys.  The restoration of the prodigal son ends with a festive party celebrated by the whole community.  What was new in Jesus' teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out and not merely mourned for.  God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that all be saved and restored to fellowship with him.  That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God.