The Fourth Lost Thing

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(Luke chapter 15)

In Luke chapter fifteen, our Lord Jesus Christ told three parables about three things that had been "lost" and then were "found again". He told about a "Shepherd" who had lost one of his "sheep", but how this shepherd had gone out and searched until he found the sheep that had been lost. When he found the sheep, our Lord said, he carried it back home on his shoulders, and he told the other shepherds round about to "rejoice" with him because he had found his lost sheep.

Our Lord also told about a woman who had lost a "coin" in her house, and how she had taken a light and a brush, and searched everywhere in her house until she found the coin that had been lost. Just like the shepherd, the woman told all her friends that she had found her lost coin, and told them to rejoice with her on account of that.

Finally, our Lord told about a "son" who had been "lost" to his father, because he had taken himself away from his father's house, but who, when he made his way back to his father, then his father gladly received him into his house again.

Now, our Lord told those parables about those three lost things to teach us that there is a FOURTH lost thing that needs to be "found" and restored back to its rightful place again. The fourth lost thing is "man" himself; men and women, and young people, and boys and girls. A "parable" is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, and as the Lord told the earthly story about the shepherd finding his lost sheep, and the woman finding her lost coin, He also told the heavenly meaning of that. "Even so", He said, "there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repents." The Bible tells us that we are "lost" and must be "found"; and that Jesus came into the world to "seek and to save that which is lost."

THE REASON WHY Jesus told the three parables of the three lost things is very instructive. As the Lord had gone about preaching and teaching in those days, many people who were considered to be "dyed-in-the-wool" sinners had come to believe in Him, and to trust in Him as their Lord and Saviour. Some other people, who were very righteous in their own eyes, found it hard to come to terms with such a thing as that. "This man receives sinners", they exclaimed. It's on the back of that, then, that Christ tells His three parables about the three lost things; and the lesson is clear.

JUST AS you would expect - a shepherd to search for a lost sheep, and a woman to search for a lost coin, and a father to receive a lost son, what else would you expect a Saviour to do but to seek and receive lost sinners. He was the Saviour of sinners. The self-righteous people didn't come to Him, because they did not see that they needed Him as their Saviour. The sinners who came to Him, were received by Him.

Men and women, and young people, and boys and girls are the "fourth" lost thing in the Lords parable; BUT to which of the two "groups" of the lost thing do YOU belong? To the group who thought they had no need of Christ to "save" them from their sins? Or to those who saw themselves as "lost" indeed, unless He would be the Saviour of their souls for ever and ever?

In the third of the three parables, the lost "son" came to the point where he began to see himself as "lost" indeed. He resolved in his heart that he would go back and ask his father to forgive him and accept him in any way his father saw fit. He was gladly received: - "This is my son was dead, and is alive again", said the father, "was lost, and is found!"

Do you see yourself as a lost sinner? Jesus is the Saviour of all such who come to Him.