The Only Eternal Party

September 17, 2022

By Brooke Holt

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’ So he told them this parable: ‘Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’” Luke 15:1-3, 8-10

Have you ever lost something so precious to you? One day after working out, I got home to discover the diamond had fallen out of my engagement ring. What an awful feeling! As you can imagine, I went back to that place and retraced all my steps. When I couldn’t find the diamond, I told everyone that it was missing in hopes that someone else would find my treasure. There was a great search but no diamond. And I grieved at what I lost.

Jesus wants you to have the same fervency towards his lost children that you have for your personal treasures. If I cared enough to spend most of my day trying to track down a diamond, then what about these people who are so precious to the Lord?

Maybe you are tempted to deflect this question thinking that you are too busy, have other responsibilities, or that saving souls is the job of the evangelist or preacher. Jesus invites you to do his work! Today, you are his hands, his feet, and mouthpiece. You are his disciple and are entrusted with the gift of sharing the Gospel.

Jesus uses this parable of the lost coin to remind you that his people are precious to him and worth your time and effort. Just as you would search for your lost money or diamond, so he would have you search for those who have not yet received him or who have drifted from him. As you learn in Luke 15:1-3, the religious leaders dismissed those people, but Jesus never would.

The woman searched and searched for her lost treasure until it was found, and then she spent that coin to throw a celebration party. You are invited to that party. There was one in heaven the day you came to the Lord, and there will be one when God uses you to draw his people back to him. Even better, one day when you get there, all those with whom you shared this Gospel will thank you.

Ray Boltz sang “Thank You for Giving to the Lord”, a beautiful song about a man in the heavenly realms who hears story after story of how his actions, big and small, resulted in people coming to the Lord. The refrain goes, “Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed.” No earthly riches or success could compare to that joy in heaven and the eternal glory God will bestow upon you. Just think of it as the eternal party!

Reflection:

Are you faithfully seeking those who have not heard the Gospel message or those who have fallen astray from the Lord? Jesus cares passionately about those people and invites you to be his messenger of the good news of the Gospel. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Recommended Resource:

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