Luke 15
I'm not sure if I can fit this into the format that I've been using so I'll just combine the summary and my take away into one writing today.
We have three familiar parables about something that was lost, the sacrifice made in the search, and the celebration when the lost thing was found.
The shepherd secured the ninety-nine sheep and set off (probably at the end of the day) to find the lost sheep.
The woman thoroughly cleaned her house in search of a lost coin.
And an old man waited and watched for the return of a wayward son.
This all started because Jesus was ministering to (meeting the needs of) people that Pharisees felt were of no value. They were sinners and tax collectors. The stories Jesus told are to help us understand that God values others (and us) differently than we do.
Perhaps it's just because I've been spending time with people that are unsheltered and have real food insecurity, but I am beginning to value things differently than I used to. I've been exposed to people that express gratitude for the simplest of things -- like rejoicing over finding a simple coin.
Right now these parables teach me more than lessons of something lost and found. As life is teaching me about the value of people and things, I'm finally seeing that Jesus has been trying to teach me those lessons all along.
Damn, I'm such a slow learner!
I realize this is probably a far different take than you get from this reading. It is very different than I've ever had from it, too. And it may not be theologically sound, but neither am I (or so I've been told).
John <><
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