The Love of God Romans 5:8
We’ve all heard the saying, “Love makes the world go round.” It’s true. In fact, it was love that created the world.
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God didn’t create heaven and earth because he was bored or just wanted something to do. God created heaven and earth as a way to express his nature of love. Heaven and earth couldn’t give God anything that he needed or didn’t have. Heaven and earth gave him the avenue to demonstrate and share the unfathomable love that is him.
Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in his own image…” God created us, again, not because of anything we could do for him, but because through us he could attest his unconditional love.
In Luke chapter 15 Jesus gives us three parables as a way of describing God’s love for us: The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin, and the Parable of the Lost or Prodigal Son. We’ve looked at the Prodigal Son before so today we’re going to look at just the first two.
(Read Luke 15:3-7)
To the sheep, the wilderness was enticing, perhaps with greener pastures. And soon the wondering sheep were lost in this wilderness, facing danger with no protection. That wilderness is a picture of our world with all its temptations and dangers. Like the wilderness seduced the straying sheep, our world lures men with excitement and instant gratification. And the sheep who wanders off doesn’t realize the danger, it keeps straying farther and farther from the safety of the shepherd. And us, Isaiah 53:6, “All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned, everyone to his own way…”
To a shepherd with one hundred sheep, what is just one? The shepherd sees the value of that one sheep. He has concern for it and its safety. The shepherd loves his flock, including the wondering sheep. He goes looking for it knowing his other sheep are sheltered. God is that shepherd. He knows we are shielded from Satan by his Holy Spirit. Confident in our security he goes after the wondering and the lost. He may use a movie, or a song on the radio, he may use family, or he may use us, but God will go after the lost. And he will work to bring them back to the safety of the flock, and the protection of the shepherd.
In the parable, once the sheep has been brought back, the shepherd calls his friends and neighbors together to celebrate its return. Each time a wondering soul returns to God there is joy in heaven, a soul has returned from the wilderness.
(Read Luke 15:8-10)
The coin described here is worth just a small amount. Those who studied these scriptures estimate the whole ten coins were valued at less than two dollars. The people listening to Jesus that day would have known the tradition of women being gifted ten coins as a wedding present and how many times the coins were sown into the headdress of her wedding attire. These coins were of tremendous sentimental value, and of great significance. The loss of even one would have been felt keenly, and it would be extremely upsetting to her. A woman would go to great lengths to find the coin. To God, each of us is of great significance. Any soul lost is upsetting to him.
I want us to notice that this coin is lost in the house, this is significant. The coin is used to describe the situation of millions across time, all those people raised in a Christian home, taught the scriptures, given to know the Lord, and yet never understanding God, never accepting Jesus. They are lost within their own home.
The woman valued the coin and searched for it, an inanimate object. How much more are you, a creation of God, loved by God? How much searching for you do you think God will do? God will seek out the lost every second of every day until that person’s last heartbeat.
As we know, every word out of Jesus’ mouth is important and Godly; Verse 8, “Doesn’t she light a lamp…” Psalm 119, verse 105, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Jesus lets the world know God is always there, using his word and anything necessary for you to find your way back to him.
“Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?” All we have to do is open our eyes, see the light, move aside the clutter of the world, and seek God in our lives. And like with the sheep, when the coin is found, there is much celebrating and rejoicing. Verse 10, “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” All of heaven sings over you when you come to Jesus. All of heaven glorifies your name, because in the heart of God, you are valued infinitely more than a sheep or a coin.
And the best part? It’s described in our verse from Romans. “While we still sinners, Christ died for us.” Like the sheep didn’t turn around and meet the shepherd halfway, like the coin just laid on the floor behind the muddle, God seeks you out before you do anything. Christ gave up his life for you before you ever turned a thought toward him.
Praise our Lord Christ Jesus,
Glory to God in our Father in heaven.
Amen