All Out Search

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?          —Luke 15:4

In recent days the news media has been flooded with reports of all out searches for lost things and persons. Two 14-year old Florida boys have been missing at sea for over a week. The Coast Guard has expanded its search to 41,000 square miles off the coasts of three states. Hundreds of friends and family members have joined a prayer vigil in hope that the boys will be found alive.

In another story, a new twist occurred in the search of the Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. Debris from what appears to be part of a wing of a Boeing 777 washed up on an island off the coast of Madagascar. The search has gone on for nearly a year and a half. The debris washed up on a shore over 3,000 miles from where the plane is believed to have gone down.

These two searches dramatically demonstrate what great lengths we will go to in order to find those who are lost. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories, parables, to emphasize how important lost people are to God. The lost people Jesus speaks about are not those physically lost at sea or in a plane crash, but rather, people lost and alienated from God by sin.

The three parables are the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Each of the parables demonstrates that something of great value was lost. You and I are of great value to God. We matter so much to God that He gave His one and only Son to die for our sin and reconcile us to Himself. Each parable describes an all-out search for that which was lost. The parables all end with a description of the huge celebration that occurs when the lost is found.

The parables also describe different ways folks become lost. In the first story, sheep by nature tend to wander off. They need a shepherd to direct them to green pastures, lead them to good water, and protect them from predators. Sometimes, you and I unintentionally get sidetracked by everyday life and wander away from God. God still loves us, misses us, and searches for us.

In the parable of the lost coin, someone did something to the coin. The coin was dropped, misplaced, or hidden. Many times in life, you and I have terrible things done to us that cause us to become lost. God knows and cares.

Finally, in the parable of the lost son, the prodigal son willfully rebelled against his father’s love and went off to the far country into sinful living. Even when we outwardly rebel against God, He loves us, searches for us, and awaits our return home.

Do you have family and friends who are morally and relationally lost, those who are living lifestyles contrary to God’s will? Of far greater importance is their relationship to God who loves, created, and redeemed them. If we held prayer vigils and spent millions of dollars in all-out searches for them, think how many might come to know and experience God’s love for them in Jesus Christ.

Let us hope and pray the MA-370 is found and the family members find closure. Let us pray the Florida boys are found safe and alive. But, more importantly, let us join with Jesus Christ, seeking to save that which was spiritually lost. God so loved the world that He gave His Son.