Have you ever lost something very precious to you? Perhaps your wallet, your cellphone, or something with sentimental value?
Remember how worried you were? How you searched everywhere? And how happy you felt when you finally found it?
Today, Jesus tells us two beautiful stories: the lost sheep and the lost coin. Both reveal something wonderful about God: He never gives up on us, no matter how far we have wandered away.
Let me share three simple lessons.
First, God never gives up on anyone.
The shepherd had one hundred sheep. When one went missing, he left the ninety-nine to search for it. And when he found it, he did not beat it or scold it. He joyfully placed it on his shoulders and carried it home.
What a beautiful picture of God’s mercy!
Sometimes, we easily give up on people. We say, “That person will never change!” “That young man is hopeless!” “That family is beyond repair!” But God never speaks that way.
If God never gives up on sinners, why should we? Perhaps there is someone in your family who has gone astray. Don’t give up. Continue praying, loving, and reaching out.
Second, being lost does not mean being worthless.
In the second parable, a woman loses one of her ten coins. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it.
Why? Because that coin is precious to her. And here is the beautiful lesson: The coin did not lose its value simply because it was lost. Neither do we lose our dignity because of our mistakes.
We may fall into sin. We may make terrible decisions. We may disappoint others and even ourselves. But we never cease to be precious in God’s eyes.
Jesus welcomes sinners, not because He approves of their sins, but because He believes in their possibility of conversion.
Let us remember: A person’s worst mistake should never become our final judgment of that person.
Third, God rejoices when a sinner returns.
Both parables end with a celebration.
Jesus tells us that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. Imagine that! When someone sincerely returns to God, heaven celebrates!
But sometimes, we do the opposite. Instead of rejoicing when someone changes, we keep reminding that person of past mistakes. “Ah, buotan na kuno siya karon? Tan-awon nato hangtod kanus-a!” (Oh, so he’s good now? Let’s see how long that lasts!)
Brothers and sisters, if heaven rejoices when sinners repent, why should we continue condemning them? Let us learn to welcome, forgive, and give people another chance.
Final Words
Let me end with this thought.
When a little child gets lost in a crowded marketplace, the mother searches desperately. And when she finally finds her child, what does she do?
She embraces the child tightly, with tears of joy, saying, “Thank God, I found you!”
That is the heart of our God.
And that should also be the heart of our Church. A welcoming Church is not simply a Church with open doors. It is a Church with a searching heart.
So today, let us ask ourselves: Who is the lost sheep in my life? Who needs my forgiveness, my understanding, or my invitation to come home?
And perhaps, the lost sheep is none other than myself. If so, let us remember: No matter how far we have wandered, God has never stopped looking for us.