God's Lost Treasure - Parable of the Lost Coin

As I see it, there are two strategies or attitudes towards savings and wealth accumulation.  First, is that which results from the diminishing value of the penny.  If a penny is lost, you might say, “Well, it’s only a penny.  I’ll search, and clean and bend in effort, only when it is worth my time.” The other philosophy clings with frugal forbearance to the adage of Ben Franklin, “A penny saved is a penny earned!” I reckon there is some truth to both approaches.  The larger point is that when we perceive that we have a “real” treasure, then and only then do we do what we can to find that which we have lost.

 Luke 15:8-10  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?  (9)  And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.  (10)  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (KJV Bible)

Luke chapter 15 is what I call God’s “lost and found” chapter.  Jesus gives a parable with three illustrations which illustrate God’s concern for every man, women, boy or girl.  We are all His treasure:

Luke 15:4-7 = the lost sheep.  The good shepherd (A possible picture of Jesus) would leave a flock of 99 sheep to find the one that is missing.

Luke 15:8-10 = the lost coin.  A certain woman (A possible picture of the Holy Spirit) would light a candle and sweep clean a dark and dirty room to find a lost silver coin because it is a great treasure to her.

Luke 15:11-32 = the lost son.  A certain father ( a possible picture of our Heavenly Father) would continue to love and patiently wait for his son who abuses him in attitude and rejection.  In the end He receives back his son and the family is restored.

All these illustrations are of a lost treasure that is found.  Each find is a reason to party and make merry.  When we come to God, the heavens rejoice.

I find the illustration of the lost coin a most interesting anecdote for the value of a sinner. What makes this coin such a treasure that this woman lights a candle, diligently sweeps a dirt floor, meticulously searches until she finds it, and finally throws a party of celebration with her friends and neighbors? I believe that it is more than the mere value of a lost coin.

On the one hand the value of a silver drachma (coin) is nothing to take lightly. Its value in that day is a little more than a whole day’s wage for a worker in Palestine. This is naught to be taken carelessly. It is certainly worth a search. However, if one did throw a celebration party of friends and neighbors, it could quite possibly cost more than the lost silver it commemorated. Still, it is possible the reason stops here.

On the other hand, I favor a more romantic insight into not the value but the inviolability of the coin. This piece of silver might have been sacred to the woman because it is part of a set of ten. It might have been one of the coins which Jewish, and indeed other Eastern women, sew on to their head-dresses. These coins might have been given her by her father at her wedding and worn by her to show her status as a faithful married woman. Decent women are not seen, even much at home, without these snoods. (This may have given added reason for criticism of the woman who dries Jesus’ feet with the loosened hairs from her head.)

If the woman is found to be unfaithful, her husband might take one of the coins to disgrace her. If the husband discovers that a coin is missing, he might also get the wrong idea. The set of coins also testifies to her worth. If she wears these about her head, it means that she probably has more. So, as you can see, the invaluable nature of the coin is that, as part of the set, it brings glory to the bride. It is a treasure that must be found!

As a side note, I see a lot of Christians who have lost a treasure in serving Christ. I see good folks who have little or no joy, little or no Christian fellowship, little or no awareness of the closeness of Jesus in their relationships. To make matters worse, many of these do not even realize the priceless nature of their loss. It is time to light again the candle of Christ and sweep the floors of our souls till we are restored in an old fashioned revival. Amen!

We are Christ’s treasure! When we are lost from fellowship with Him, the Holy Spirit searches our hearts with the light of Christ and sweeps clean our souls with truth, all because we are His “silver.”

How do men become lost? They are lost in darkness. I preach that we should never doubt in darkness what God shows us in the light. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. We are to reflect that light. When we walk out of that light we are in darkness, and we stumble and doubt.

_{2 C o rinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of G od, should shine unto them. (KJV Bible)}

How do men become lost? They are lost in dirtiness. Men tend toward dirtiness! This is not a great revelation, but it is absolutely true. It is not evolution but regression that is the natural state of man.

_{Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (KJV Bible)}

When a coin is stamped, it is imprinted with the image of the ruler. If a coin is lost in the dirt, the likeness of the ruler on that coin will be veiled and marred. So it is with lost men! We are made in the image of God, but that image becomes marred and we need to be cleansed so that the image of our lord might be returned.

There are so many that are lost from fellowship with Christ. Most of the things I lose are “right under my nose.” So close but so lost. People are lost to Jesus, often right in the “fold” of the church, or in the very “house” of God, or in the family where you live. At the Cross of Christ there are three. One is the Savior who takes away the sin of the world. The other two are the lost and the found. Yes, you can be lost at the very shadow of the Cross.

From this illustration of the lost treasure I learn two valuable lessons about God. First, He is in the restoration business!

_{Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (KJV Bible)}

You are invaluable to Him. He gave His life for you. You are His treasure.

Finally, God is in the party business. All heaven rejoices when one of His prodigals is found. You make His set complete. You are the apple of His eye!