I was not sure as to what I should write about today until my husband frantically called me from work. “Would you go look and see if I put the cash in the CEFCU envelope away?” He had not. My husband had one problem after another today, this whole week actually; so, the missing money did not surprise me much. He was at work and therefore could not help in the search, so I was off and running. First, I prayed. Then I began in the most logical place; the pocket of his jeans that were in the hamper. Next, I searched through the hamper itself. Searching the two trucks he had tried to repair this morning and our old car that he swiped a battery from followed. I also looked on shelves and in crevices, then called stores we had shopped at in hope that some honest person turned the money in. In the morning, Doug will search our upper field where he had been using his phone to take pictures. He was in and out of his pocket repeatedly.
Please read Luke chapter 15. Jesus told three parables to illustrate the lost. In the first parable, a sheep, who was already part of the flock, had aimlessly wandered away on its own, as sheep are given to do. The shepherd took note that it was missing and wasted no time in starting to search for it. The Good Shepherd gladly shouldered the burden of bringing the lost sheep home. In the second parable a woman lost a coin. I have heard it said that she lost it because she was careless, but I don’t see that clearly in scripture. Perhaps she was careless, or perhaps it was knocked off the table unbeknownst to her through no fault of her own. How it ended up lost is a mystery. All that is certain in this scripture is that once she realized it was missing, she searched diligently for the coin and did not quit ‘til she found it. The third parable was more complicated than the others. It was about two sons who were, in their own way, missing persons; even though both knew exactly where their father could be found.
The third parable could be discussed for hours on end, but I just want to point out a couple of things. One son, usually deemed the prodigal son (for ‘prodigal’ means ‘wasteful’) chose to take blessings from his father but rejected his father’s authority and fellowship. The father let him go. He waited, watched,
and hoped for his return; but did not attempt to seize the son’s free will. The father, though obviously grieved at his son’s departure, did not presume he could fix and control his son’s thinking. He let his son learn through the choices he made. When His son returned, he forgave and fully restored him. The second son was every bit as much a prodigal as the first, if not more. He was willing to waste the opportunity for a renewed relationship with his repentant brother. His father came out and implored him not to be bitter.
The father also reassured him that he was loved. If the second prodigal son continued to refuse to enter into fellowship with his brother, he also would remain out of fellowship with his father.
Luke 15:7 (NASB) I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
The CEFCU envelope we are missing is very important to us. It has money we are counting on for living expenses and for our farm needs. We will get by without it but feel the loss none-the-less. However, it does not equate to the loss of a soul. We will rejoice when we find it. Greater still, all heaven will rejoice
when sinners find their place in the Father’s kingdom. Thank you, Lord.