Luke 15:8-10 (New Living Translation) “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
Context: 10 silver coins (two weeks wages) make up the savings of a woman, who loses 1 coin in her home. How she loses it, and how long it had been lost, is not disclosed. One scholar suggests that the coin was heavy, so it fell. The coin was round, so it rolled. The coin was dead/inanimate, so it laid flat on the floor, waiting to be found.
Introduction: The previous parable and our text are essentially the same. Something is lost and soon found. Nuance is introduced with the imaginative inclusiveness of Jesus' language. Jesus decides to cast a woman in the leading role of a story, that he's telling to some narrow minded men.
Transition: A shepherd's passion for his sheep was on display in verses 1-7, but the intrinsic and sacred worth of the lost is promoted in verses 8-10. Being lost doesn't diminish something's value...
Exposition: Intentional (plan in practice) and logical (sensible) steps are taken...
1) Illumination (lamp) Light (God's word/Psalm 119:105) drives away darkness. Valuables hide in the cool darkness.
2) Agitation (sweep) You can't get what you want without working for it! Your work is for now (finding the coin) and next (a party)!
3) Concentration (search carefully) She's not talking, she's only searching! I'm sure at some point she grew discouraged, but she didn't quit. Stay focused and don't give in to distractions.
Conclusion: Just like the previous parable, this one ends with a party. This time the party isn't over a sheep but a coin. The coin may of been small change to her friends and neighbors, but it wasn't to her. We must learn how to be grateful for blessings, large and small!
