In high school, my younger brother saved up all his money to buy me a cross necklace for my birthday. He could’ve spent it on toys or candy, but he chose to give me a gift. It meant so much, and I wore it every day.
In college, I took it off before a basketball game so it wouldn’t break. Afterward, it was missing. I was heartbroken and searched everywhere I could think of, but found nothing. A year later, while cleaning out my basketball backpack, I found it in a pocket I’d never noticed! I still remember the joy of finding something that meant so much to me.
That joy gives us a small picture of how God sees us. Even when we feel far from Him, He hasn’t stopped pursuing us. Jesus helps us understand this through the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin.
New to parables? They’re simple stories Jesus used to teach about God and His kingdom. Our guide to the parables of Jesus is a helpful place to start.
Where Are the Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin in the Bible?
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin are in Luke 15:1-10. Jesus tells them after religious leaders complain about the people He welcomes.
The chapter begins with tax collectors and sinners gathering to hear Jesus. The Pharisees and teachers of the law say, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” They see people Jesus should avoid. Jesus sees people He wants to welcome. So He tells them stories about searching for something lost and the joy of finding it.
What Happens in the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin?
The Lost Sheep Plot Summary
- A shepherd has 100 sheep, but one gets lost.
- He leaves the 99 and searches for the lost sheep until he finds it.
- He puts it on his shoulders and brings it home.
- He calls his friends and neighbors together to celebrate finding his lost sheep.
The Lost Coin Plot Summary
- A woman has 10 coins, but she loses one.
- She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it.
- She calls her friends and neighbors together to celebrate finding her lost coin.
Both stories follow the same pattern: Something valuable is lost, someone searches for it, and everyone celebrates when it’s found. Jesus says there’s the same joy in heaven when one sinner repents and turns back to God.
What Do the Parables of the Lost Coin and Lost Sheep Mean?
The thing I think is easy to miss is that Jesus isn’t really talking about sheep and coins. He’s talking about us!
- The sheep was valuable to the shepherd.
- The coin was valuable to the woman.
- We are valuable to God.
They didn’t stop being valuable just because they were lost. This is what Jesus was trying to teach the Pharisees. The people they were complaining about are valuable to God.
Jesus wasn’t spending time with sinners because He didn’t care about sin. He was spending time with them because He cared about them. Jesus doesn’t look at someone who is far from God and say, “They’re too far gone.”
Being lost doesn’t make you disposable.
He goes after them. The lost thing doesn’t find itself. The shepherd searches for the sheep.The woman searches for the coin.
The point isn’t just that something was lost. The point is that someone cared enough to go looking for it. That is what Jesus wants us to understand about God. God says you are valuable enough to be pursued.
Why Does God Go After the One?
God goes after the one because everyone matters to God.
When Jesus talks about the shepherd leaving the 99 to go after the one, He isn’t saying that God doesn’t care about the 99. The people listening to Jesus would have understood that shepherds often worked together. One shepherd could search for the missing sheep while the others stayed with the rest of the flock.
What About the 99?
The 99 sheep were together. They had community. While the shepherd went after the one, the 99 weren’t sitting out there completely alone. They had each other.
I think there is something really important for us in that. God cares deeply about the lost, but He also cares about the community around us. We were never meant to follow Jesus alone. When we experience God and begin following Him, we need to find our people. We need people who know us, encourage us, challenge us, pray for us, and help us keep following Jesus.
The shepherd can go after the one because the 99 are together. And when we have those kinds of relationships around us, we don’t have to walk through life alone either.
How Should the 99 Respond to the One?
The Pharisees were acting like the 99. They felt they were close to God. They knew the Scriptures. They knew the religious rules. They were part of the community. But they didn’t care about the one. They were frustrated that Jesus was welcoming people who were far from God.
Jesus was showing them that being part of the 99 isn’t just about being close to God yourself. It is also about caring about the people who are still lost. The 99 have a responsibility too. We get to partner with God in welcoming and caring for the one.
When we see someone far from God, our response shouldn’t be, “Why are they here?” It should be, “How can I help them experience God’s love?”
This is what makes Jesus’ response to the Pharisees powerful. He wasn’t just telling them that God loves the lost. He was showing them that if they wanted to be close to God, they needed to care about the people God cares about.
- The one matters.
- The 99 matter.
- And the community matters.
Three Things We Can Learn From the Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin
1. God notices each person.
The shepherd knew one sheep was missing. The woman knew one coin was missing. God knows when someone is missing from Him. You aren’t just another person in God’s eyes. He knows you. He sees you. And He cares about your relationship with Him. Even when you feel far away, you aren’t forgotten.
2. God loves finding things that are lost.
I think it’s really interesting how much joy there is in both stories when what was lost is found. The shepherd doesn’t just find his sheep and move on with his day. He calls his friends and neighbors and tells them to celebrate with him. The woman does the same thing when she finds her coin. Why? Because what was lost was valuable to them. I think Jesus is showing us something about God’s heart.
You don’t have to talk God into wanting you back.
God doesn’t just want people to be found because He needs another person in His kingdom. He loves it when people far from Him turn back to Him. Jesus says that there is joy in heaven when one sinner repents. God loves finding what is lost. That is why Scripture has many stories of people finding what was lost. That means if you feel far from God, you don’t have to wonder if He wants you back. The story Jesus tells shows that He is actively pursuing you and celebrates when you turn toward Him.
3. We are called to care about the one too.
The Pharisees were part of the 99, but they had lost sight of the one. They cared more about who Jesus was eating with than about the people Jesus was trying to reach. I think this is a challenge for all of us. It’s easy to get comfortable in our relationship with God and forget the people who are still searching.
But if God loves finding what’s lost, then we should love it too. We get to partner with God in welcoming people, caring for people, and helping people experience who Jesus is.
That doesn’t mean we have to have all the answers. It can be as simple as inviting someone to church, listening to their story, praying with them, or making them feel like they belong. The 99 help people experience God’s love. We were never meant to follow Jesus alone, and we were never meant to keep Jesus to ourselves.
Reflect
- Is there an area of your life where you feel far from God?
- Do you believe that God is still pursuing you even when you feel far away?
- Who in your life helps you follow Jesus?
- Are there people around you who may feel far from God? How can you help them experience Jesus’ love and welcome?
Pray
God, thank You for seeing me and knowing me. Thank You that even when I feel far from You, You haven’t forgotten me. Help me remember that You pursue people who are far from You. Give me the same heart for people that You have. Help me find people who will walk with me and help me follow You. Give me the courage to be that person for someone else too. Show me how I can partner with You in welcoming them and helping them experience Your love. Thank You for being a God who searches for what is lost and celebrates when it is found. Amen.
Next Step
- Think of one person in your life who you know is far from God, and pray for that person.
- Then think about your own community. Who are your people?
- If you don’t have people around you who are helping you follow Jesus, take a step toward finding them. Join a LifeGroup, start a conversation, or invite someone to coffee.
Read the Parable For Yourself
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:1-10 NIV