“Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.” Luke 15:8-9
My Summary & Reflection
Jesus describes a woman who had ten pieces of silver and loses one piece. She turns on the lights, cleans the house, and looks everywhere until she finds it. When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors to celebrate because she found the piece that had been lost.
In this parable Jesus is comparing each person to a piece of silver and God to the woman. Even though she has nine other pieces of silver, she works diligently to find the piece that she lost. She is not content with having the majority of what she began with, but she is concerned over the piece that was not where it was supposed to be. In this way, the parable is similar to The Good Shepherd Parable https://leaveninthemeal.com/2019/02/13/week-30-the-good-shepherd/. In it the shepherd was concerned for all of the sheep in his flock, so when one went missing, he diligently searched until he found it.
This parable reminds me of a mother who is a responsible parent caring for each of her children. When one is lost either physically or spiritually, she will search diligently for her missing child. It’s not enough that the remaining children are safe and sound. It’s the one that’s missing that takes the time and attention of the diligent parent to bring that one back home. And when that child is found, the mother will rejoice because everyone is back where they should be.
Jesus is saying that God does not forget about any of us, even though he has so many souls under his care. Each one of us is an important piece and if we are lost, He will search for us and seek to bring us back home. None of us are disposable. None of us are forgettable to God. Each and every one of us has worth, no matter what we’ve done to turn ourselves away from Him. When we have gone astray, we are like that missing piece. There will always be joy and thanksgiving when we return home. Jesus says of this woman who celebrates finding her missing piece, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10
Your Reflection
- Do you believe in the worth that Jesus says you have?
- Do you believe in the worth that Jesus says that everyone you meet has?
- If you believe in that worth, how do you treat others? How do you treat yourself?