Sermon: September 14, 2025
Reading: Luke 15: 1-10
The parables about the lost sheep and the lost coin reveal the heart of God by showing that God doesn't just tolerate the lost; he cherishes them. He doesn't wait for the lost to find their way back; he goes to them, and heaven rejoices.
While it is comforting to know how far God is willing to go to bring us home when we’re lost, we must ask ourselves, are we willing to follow the example of the shepherd? Are we willing to crawl through the brush, the briars, and the thorny bushes in search of that one lamb, that one soul that is lost? Are we willing to be like the woman and diligently sweep, looking under dusty mats and shining the light of Christ into dark, dirty corners in search of the unseen, the forgotten, and the rejected members of humanity?
Do we even see the lost, the marginalized, and those who are pushed aside? Do we look past tattoos, piercings, or skin color? Are we willing to leave our safe spaces, our comfortable routines, to love and serve those our culture has overlooked: Immigrants, refugees, those on food stamps, welfare, and the unhoused?
Or do we draw lines like the Pharisees, questioning or condemning Jesus who lovingly embraces someone who is gay, lesbian, or transgender? Or how about how Jesus willingly breaks bread and welcomes someone with a different political point of view, or voted for someone who acts in ways that are completely opposite to God’s all-inclusive love, exactly like the tax collector in ancient Israel?
The Pharisees believed that they were righteous and drew prejudicial lines between themselves and those who didn’t meet their standards. But as we see in today’s gospel, as soon as a line is drawn, Jesus is on the other side, offering love and compassion – no exceptions.
The parables of the lost sheep and lost coin are not just sweet stories; they are a declaration of God's love for the marginalized, the wounded, the unseen and forgotten, and even those we may not like or agree with. They serve as an example of how God searches with equal diligence and enthusiasm for all of His precious children, and how we are to do the same.
May we, who have been lost yet also found, have the heart of our Shepherd and the urgency of the woman with the lamp, so that we may join in the incredible celebration of heaven when another lost soul is brought home.
