God's Glory Church

“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” — Luke 15:6

“I’m called the Lord of the Rings. I’ve already found 167 lost rings this year.” While walking along the beach, my wife Kari and I chatted with an elderly man who was walking around with a metal detector. “Sometimes the rings have names engraved on them,” he said, “and I like to see the faces of the owners when I return them. I post online about the find and see if anyone gets in touch about it.” I said that I also like to search with a metal detector, but I didn’t do it very often. In parting, the man said: “You’ll never know until you try!”

In the 15th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, another kind of “search and rescue” is told. Jesus was criticized for caring about people far from God (vv. 1-2). In response, He told three stories: about a sheep, a coin and a son who were lost and then found. The man, “having found [the sheep], puts it on his shoulders and rejoices. And, coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors and says to them: ‘Rejoice with me'” (Lk. 15:5-6). All these stories are about the search for lost people and the joy of their salvation in Christ.

Jesus came “to find and save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10). He calls us to follow His example (see Mt. 28:19). And the joy of people coming to God awaits us. We’ll never know until we try.

What joy did you feel when people came to God? How will you show others the love of Jesus?

Lord Jesus, thank you for finding and loving me! Please direct me to someone who needs You today.

Author: James Banks