Sister
CF Ambassador
Seek What Has Value
One time I lost my car keys. I had gone out of town to visit the North branch of my church and we took my husband's car. We went to church and then out to eat. I didn't notice until the next morning before work that I didn't have my keys. Thankfully, my husband works thirds, so I was able to take his car and have it back by the time he had to go in. We did this all week. We checked his car and everything, but I was absolutely certain I lost my keys at church and would have to wait until someone found them. When someone with a key could look the next Saturday at church though, they weren't there. So what did I do? I took a big garbage bag and I cleaned out that car. There under the passenger side of the seat, I found my key. I felt like a goober (or a gobbler if you are in the Thanksgiving spirit).
It is funny now, but this reminds me of the parable from Luke 15:1-8. The Pharisees were complaining how Jesus welcomed and ate with sinners, and Jesus answered them with a question. "3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?" His next parable had the same concept. 8Or what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it?"
Both a sheep and a coin have value, just like my car keys have value. But how much do we value another human being? Ouch. Do we love people enough? Christians may not grumble like the Pharisees did, but do we leave the 99 church members and go after the lost? Or what about this? That lost coin was a drachma. "Man is precious because he too has the image and superscription of the great King...What seems implied here is the possibility that a soul that is precious in the sight of God may be lost even within the society, Israel or the Church of Christ, which is for the time being the visible house of God." (Elliott's commentary for English Readers).
There are hurting people outside of the church as well as inside of the church. The Father looked on us with eyes of love and mercy, giving His own Son to die for our sins. We need to intentionally search for others in love and mercy also. We need to see the value in telling people about Jesus Christ. We also need to lift up each other and be there for one another in the Body of Christ so we can have every part fully functioning for the Kingdom of God. We do not want to contribute to our church family to get to the point of being in bondage again, because we were not looking. God saw the value in us and we need to see the value in people too. We need to look for the lost and not wait for someone else to do it. Jesus said it, I'll say it again, church: "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." Mark 16:15.
Sister