Lost, Found, Joy
Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!
Luke 15:6
In the days of the Lord Jesus, tax collectors were seen as betraying their people by colluding with the Roman government. Many tax collectors abused their role by taking more money than required for taxes and keeping the surplus for themselves (Luke 3:12-13). They were also regarded as being sinners and would have been excluded from the religious community.
In his Gospel account, Luke portrays these social and religious outcasts sympathetically. Tax collectors came to John the Baptist eager to know how to repent (Luke 3:12). Jesus called Levi the tax collector to follow Him, and Levi immediately did, then hosted a banquet for the Lord (Lk 5:27-30). A woman the Pharisees described as a sinner (Lk 7:39), is praised by Christ for her faith (v 50). Luke argued that those who know they are sinners are most likely to hear and follow the Lord (Lk 5:31:32; 15:1).
In Luke 15, the Lord was criticised for caring about people who were far from God (v 1-2). In reply, He told three stories about things that were lost and then found. a sheep, a coin and a son. The man who finds the lost sheep “joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls for his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me’ ” (Lk 15:5-6). All three stories are ultimately about finding lost people for Christ, and the joy that comes as they are found in Him.
Jesus came “to seek and to save the lost” (Lk 19:10), and He calls us to follow Him in loving people back to God (see Matt 28:19). The joy of seeing others turn to Him and being saved awaits. We will never know unless we go and share the Good-News with the lost.
Bible Reading
Luke 15:1-10.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for finding and loving me! Please send me in Your joy to another who needs You today. Amen.
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