The Parable Of The Lost Coin
Luke 15:8-10
“Or what woman, having ten silver
coins,
if she loses one coin, does not
light a lamp,
sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
And when she has found it,
she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying,
‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy
in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”
What was the significance of the 10 silver coins? Why did Jesus use
them to illustrate an important parable?
What was the big deal of losing just one coin? Why would a woman
take all the troubles to light a lamp, sweep the whole house, and
search high and low for it? And after finding it, why was she so
joyful that she would be delighted to tell her friends and
neighbours about it? What were these 10 coins?
These 10 silver coins were bound together as a dowry
and headdress for a woman to wear on her forehead for her wedding
day and thereafter. She would wear this piece of jewelry daily even
while she slept.
This dowry then became the bride's personal property. It formed a
financial support for her new family as it could be changed into
money in times of need.
The silver ornaments on the headdress served as an indicator of the
woman's status, showing her wealth and faithfulness. That’s why she
was so anxious to ensure that every coin was intact and in place.
If the bride used any one coin for any financial transactions
without the husband's knowledge or approval, it would reflect very
badly on her character. Her husband would take this lost coin to be
a good reason to divorce her.
The coin meant more to her than the value of the precious silver.
For her to lose it would be losing face in her community, and to
become shameful before her husband. Thus upon losing any one coin,
she must make a desperate search to find it again. Her whole life
and marriage depended on this coin!
She was sweeping the whole house, and searching for not just a bit
of metal! She was searching for her right to have a home, shelter
and respectability; for her right to have a safe and honorable place
in society; and for her right to mother her children and to be a
wife to her husband! Thus when she finally found the lost coin, she
was overwhelmed with joy. She wanted her friends and neighbours to
celebrate and rejoice with her.
To whom did Jesus share this parable? To all the tax collectors and
the sinners, the Pharisees and scribes and His disciples.
Luke 15:1-2
Then all the tax collectors and the
sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.
And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying,
“This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
While Jesus was rejoicing with exceeding great joy, the Pharisees
and scribes were just complaining. Jesus was delighted to have a
feast with all the tax collectors and the sinners! He knew their
importance and value in the sight of God! But the Pharisees and
scribes were debating that these tax collectors and sinners were
detestable and defiled. They would not share a same table dining
with these sinful people lest they themselves were defiled.
But our Lord Jesus saw something else. These tax collectors and
sinners were like lost treasures or coins. Once lost but now they
were found. Once blind but now they could see. Jesus said that there
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who
repents. Not one less and not one missing.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,
as some count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
Today, there are still multitudes of people who have yet come to
know the Lord, and receive Him as their Saviour. They are like the
lost coin. But who is the woman? Or who is the bride?
The Lord had already come to live and die and pay the penalty for
all of our sins and their sins! He has given us the Great Commission
to share His gospel with these people. The responsibility is upon
the Church, not God or the holy angels.
Suppose the Church is the bride, and Jesus the Bridegroom has given
her a wedding dowry of ten silver coins. While waiting for the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb, the bride of Christ forgets about the importance
of ten silver coins, and trades one of them for some worldly wealth
and goods without the permission of the Bridegroom. She loses one
coin, and she does not even know it!
The bride needs to wise up and find the lost coin. Without it,
she is incomplete.
Ephesians 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives,
just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
that He might sanctify and cleanse her
with the washing of water by the word,
that He might present her to Himself a
glorious church,
not having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing,
but that she should be holy and without
blemish.
Sadly, the Church has forgotten about the Great Commission. Like the
Pharisees and scribes, we are playing our silly religious games,
pretending to be holy and proclaiming others as defiled. Like the
Israelites who were blessed, and were called to be a blessing to the
nations, but they have not yet fulfilled their awesome
responsibility and calling. They still look at the Gentiles as the
uncircumcised!
Similarly, we, the bride of Christ, are guilty of doing the same
thing! The saints are not preaching the Good News to the sinners. We
are not reaching and touching them with the love of God! We may be the ones delaying His Coming! We may be the
ones delaying the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached
in all the world as a witness to
all the nations,
and then the end will come.
Thus, let us preach the gospel while making ourselves ready for His
Coming! Let us prepare the way of the Lord!
Revelation 19:7-8
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and His wife has made herself ready.”
And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
bright,
for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Written on 19 May 2013