He was awakened with the sound of running feet, the crash of a slammed door and excited conversation in the room adjacent to his bedroom. Why hadn’t the servant woken him up ? But then it was still dusk outside, so what was all the commotion about. The thought came to him quicker than the cloak he was searching for. Maybe his persistent earnest prayer had been answered. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he found his way into the kitchen area to discover that one of his servants had brought the news that the Masters prized sheep had found its way home after being lost in the hills. Happy but at the same time disappointed for how often he had stared at the door of his house allowing the evening wind to carry his son’s voice to him, “Father I have come home.” Like a watchman on duty he had kept a vigil since the day his son left asking for his share of the inheritance. He wanted to live in the big cities, prove to himself that he could take care of himself; he knew what life was all about.
It was easy to accept at first, the servants would talk about him and they were confident he would soon return. His brother kept his things in place, there would be lots to talk about on his return. The pages of one season gave way to another and so the mention of his son gave way to other things.
This same portrait hangs in many ecclesias today, but few of us pause to learn again the lesson written in its golden frame. It bears the artist name of Jesus Christ and with brush in hand selecting carefully the colors of words given to him from his Father, he paints two more pictures before his audience, made up of the Scribes and Pharisees. These pictures would complement the picture of the Father with his two sons.
How familiar to them was this one. A shepherd having a hundred sheep and one of them became lost. Without hesitation for the ninety nine who were well taken care of he goes into the wilderness to search for that which is lost. Regardless of the weather conditions one thing was on his mind; to find the lost one. Fallen into a ravine, terrorized by a wild animal, terrified of being alone, it had to be found while there was still time.
His efforts were not in vain. Found, there was no raised staff on the sheep’s back in retaliation for the trouble he had caused the shepherd. The shepherd did not drive him back to the fold with a chorus of comments on how reckless his behavior had been. Beautiful and telling is the lesson as the artist puts the finishing touches to the shepherd picking up the sheep and carrying him home on his shoulder. What joy and happiness to share with his family when he returned to tell them, “that which was lost is now found.” The deep set eyes that seem to focus on all things especially the thoughts in the hearts of his audience before they became vocal on the platform of their lips compelled them to follow the weeping hands that moved them from one picture to another already touched with his brush. Why another picture — why another parable?
The Sheep is Lost Outside . . . The Coin Is Lost In the House
Reason appears to be in order, to emphasize that whilst a sheep can only be lost outside the fold and away from the flock, a coin can be lost while it is still in the house. A woman loses a coin, probably one of ten that made up a necklace. It has been suggested that it was a wedding ornament, a token of betrothal. She valued it so much, not a part of it to be lost. She left everything else and swept the house clean until she had found it. The coin was precious, engraved as belonging to the king for it bore his image and superscription. Her persistent efforts paid off and with the coin found she rejoiced with the remarks “I have found the piece I have lost.” This being different to the previous parable “I have found my sheep which was lost.”
Christ is now hoping his audience will allow these two pictures to come together in the parable of the two sons we have already looked at. Looking again at that picture we observe the cause for rejoicing, but at the same time sadness. Joy and tragedies are often partners in life.
So in our mind’s eye we go back to the father whose eyes continue to search the horizon for any sign of his son. Was the dust being cruel to him, caught up in the hands of the evening breeze an image was forming. Whilst he had lost the spirit in his youth, the gaunt figure draped with clothing worse than those handed down to his servant, yes, it was his son.
Scripture says, “He saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” If he had been a younger man he would have picked him up and carried him on his shoulder, borne him into his house, like the shepherd. His son was home.
“Likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
Nevertheless, the sweetness of this reunion had a bitter taste in the obvious absence of his brother. He could not understand all the attention being poured on his brother. Had his father forgotten the hours he had lain awake, the countless prayers carried on the stream of tears heavenward. His brother had caused all these problems. But he had stayed home, behaved himself and went about his work and his father never gave him one of the best of the flock to rejoice with his friends. Some pictures in the gallery of life you have to stand very close to. Let us move in closer then and we shall see that this son is the coin lost in the house. He belonged to his father’s house assured of an inheritance but he was lost. For he was unthankful, self righteous, covetous, did not his father say, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” The shepherd, the woman and the father had one thing in common; they realized they had lost something precious and so it became top priority in their lives that that which was lost must be found. No ecclesia is without this challenge. But does it rank as the first item on the arranging brethren’s agenda?
Do we take the attitude that while we have ninety nine sheep to look after, we can reshuffle the coins and never notice, after a while, which one is missing.
We have all been called to be shepherds, adorned with the necklace of the Truth, the symbol of our betrothal to the Bridegroom, father’s of Israel ever looking out with fervent prayer for the son to return. The people we work with, our neighbors are but lost in the wilderness of time. But more than ever we must alert ourselves to a greater tragedy.
Where have all the young people that attended our Sunday Schools, young groups, gone to. They took their inheritance and left.
We Can Always Come Up With a List of Excuses
What of our children, brothers and sisters in the flesh, husbands and wives that have not yet come home to God’s family. Don’t we really care about them. They are lost but are we astray from our Father, not anxious to hasten the day we can put our arms around them and to say, its good to have you as a part of the family again. Like the son at home we can come up with a list of excuses, they were never really interested, its too late now anyhow, troubles within the ecclesia put them off, they never will come back. What are we going to do then, let the sheep die in the wilderness? A national appeal went out to the Ecclesias to deal with this increasing disaster. How many responded to the appeal like the Shepherd and the woman?
“If she lost one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
One Ecclesia collected all the names of past Sunday School Scholars and friends lost in the bustle of life. To them regular invitations are sent inviting them to Ecclesial functions such as picnics, special study days, etc. Glad Tidings magazine sent to them with a follow-up card to see if they would like to visit them, a reunion evening so they can mingle again in the Fathers house.
The household must constantly be swept by the Light of Truth, compassion and love so the Bride’s adornment will not be marred by a thing of value missing.
Let us resolve to turn tragedies into joy that we with the angels might rejoice over one sinner that repenteth. For the day is near when the Master will return to his house may he rejoice to see that all his sons are there and to say, “Son, thou are ever with me, and all that I have is thine.”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One