What God Lost

Paula Shockley
Sep 11
2 min read

Depicts God’s love for the lost, inspired by the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and the prodigal son. — Created using ChatGPT

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’" (Luke 15:1-6, 8-9)

When some religious leaders grumbled about Jesus spending time with sinners, Jesus told a few stories. In one, God was depicted as a shepherd and in another God was a woman. In each, God lost something precious - one of the sheep, and a coin. We know that what God lost was precious because in each case there was a diligent search and, when what had been lost was found, a huge celebration. In both of those stories, it was God's initiative that

found what was lost.

But the third (and, likely, most well known) story is a bit different. We know this story as the Prodigal Son, but there are two sons, and the story is as much about the Faithful Father as it is about either of the sons. In this story, God (the Faithful Father) does not go to find the son who left, he simply eagerly awaits the son's return. But when his other son failed to attend the celebration of his brother's return, God did seek him out to explain that the son who stayed is as loved as the one for whom the party was thrown.

It would be interesting to know if the religious leaders saw themselves in the pouting son who had stayed, and if they recognized that their unwillingness to celebrate the recovery of the lost caused them to be in as much need of finding as the "sinners" they had grumbled about. In any event, it's clear that God doesn't want any to be lost, and God will do whatever is necessary to recover what God loves - rather that's seeking diligently, or patiently waiting. With God, the door is always open, but we have to choose to join the party.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.