The Three Lost

(Luke 15:1-35)
Introduction
Lost means no longer in our possession or control; unable to be found or recovered. In other word lost are the things to find out until they are found. In Luke 15, Jesus said the parable about the three lost. In that parable, three of them did not occupy the place where they had to be. In this passage, Jesus was among the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him and the Pharisees and scribes were angry, saying, this man gives approval to sinners, and takes food with them. The problems start in the very outset of the passage. To convince their status, Jesus took three parables; the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son (the prodigal son). As the Pharisees and the scribe, knowing not that they were the lost, but tried to find Jesus’ fault, there are people today, who know not themselves that they are lost.

1. The Lost Sheep

Sheep is about to be one of the meekest animals. Their eye is weak and they cannot see far away. Therefore they need keeper or shepherd to lead to the good pasture. Jesus began the parable to the multitudes telling about the lost sheep. The recipients of his message are variety of position. Among his parishioners, the sinners clang him having some hope to Jesus. But the Pharisees and the scribes just tried to find his fault to condemn instead of looking the revelation of God through him. At the same ways, today’s Christians also try to find the weakness of someone rather than seeing what God has done using that person. We therefore need to be aware by looking this parable.
In this parable, the Lord showed his amazing love. The parable teaches us that God is minding on even the single lost soul and when one lost soul is found God is very happy and glad. If a sheep does not find the flocks or the shepherd, she just uses to cry plaintively. Though she knows that she is lost, she cannot go back to her pen. In order to get back to her pen to live with peace, she is needed to be taken her back to the pen by someone. When the shepherd brought back the lost sheep to the pen, the sheep was exceedingly full of joy. More than the sheep, the shepherd is joyful.
Through the parable, we can somehow learn the state of the fall of man. When Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan, they did not know how to turn back to God. Thus, they tried to hide with fear amidst of the blessing that God had created for them. In order to have reconciliation with them, the God, who had no pleased had to prepare the way for them. The therefore replaced to cover their shame with his providence, the coat. As the lost sheep, that cannot go back home was found by the shepherd, as for the fallen human, who cannot turn to God by himself, God open the way and found them.
2. The Lost Coin

Coins are made of purposeful. If someone use meaningfully, it is precious on its value. But if it is used for meaningless, it lost its value. In this parable, the coin did not know that it was lost and even did not know where to go. It seemed the owner tried to use her coin and did not find it. Here, there was no problem for the coin being lost, but the owner could not stay calm and searched carefully until she finds. And when she finds, she gets her friends and neighbours together, saying, be glad with me, for I have got back the coin which had gone from me.
The same way as the lost coin, there may be Christians who did not know they are lost nor know the way to return like the Pharisees and the scribe. Though the Pharisees and Scribes were thought to be position, they did not know that they were lost before God’s presence. They are worthless before God as the value of the coin was worthless for the owner if it was lost. But, by his Grace, God prepared the way for us on Calvary and gave his son and found us by his son to restore our value in God. By the same time we are found, the joy of God is more than our joy because when the value of man, created in his own image (imago dei) is restored our owner, God is rejoice more than we are.

3. The Lost Son (The Prodigal Son)

In this parable it is clear that the son did not carry the ordinary concept. He used to follow his desire rather than the normal process of their culture and livestock. So long as he belongs to his father’s house, all the properties that his father possesses are his. But because of the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, he spent his portion foolishly and quickly went out his money. Even though his sonship was not lost in relationship whit his father, as he ran away, he had suffered the things that he would not suppose to suffer. Besides, as he spent away his father’s portion wrongfully and he became to the stage of what he did not want to be. He longed for the food that the swine were given. He became to the state that he never deserve to be.
In the last parable, the prodigal son knew himself that he was lost and wrongfully done against his father. Knowing he was sinned against his father, he made a right decision to beg the forgiveness to his father. He repented his sins with true repentance and this true repentance led him to the right way. He humbled himself and turned to his father with contrite heart, saying “I am no longer worthy to be you son”. Imagine! How sweet would the sound be for his father, who continuously waiting for his return? Indeed, the lost son was seen by the father before he saw his father. When the father saw him, he could not stay calm, he ran and hug with a big hug, kissing him and dressing him with the precious clothes that he had never worn. It teaches that when we repent our sins and turn to God with humble heart, by the time we make decision to turn to him, God cannot stay calm and he runs to us and opens his gracious and loving arms to embrace in his peaceful bosom.

Conclusion
From these three parables, the different stage, we have a lot of spiritual things to learn. Some may be in the stage of lost sheep, knowing we are lost, but do not know how to turn to God. Some may be in the state of the lost coin, neither knowing that we are lost in the presence of God nor where and how to return. Some may be in the state of the Prodigal son, convicting his status and repent and turn back to God with the contrite spirit and humble heart. Nevertheless, we are in any state, God love us and want us to turn back to him with true repentance. The more we see our sins and transgression to confess before God, the most we break the loving heart of God. He always waits for people with opening his loving wide arms to embrace them to those who are turning back to him.