Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 19C)

September 15, 2019

Text: Luke 15:1-10

            Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).  That is why He is always receiving sinners and eating with them (15:1-2).  And it is scandalous.  Tax collectors, prostitutes, adulterers, thieves, and cheats.  Even you.  He is not ashamed to be in your presence, to speak with you and touch you, to heal you, to wash you, to eat and to drink with you.  He rejoices, and all heaven with Him, over each and every sinner welcomed into the Kingdom, given a place at His Table.  Indeed, there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.  Our Lord illustrates this comforting truth for us this morning by means of two parables, the Parable of the Lost Sheep, and the Parable of the Lost Coin.

            The sheep has wandered away from the fold and finds himself alone, away from the safety of the shepherd and the flock.  He is lost.  And now a predator has wounded him, and he’s coming in for the kill.  When sheep are threatened, they are immobilized and become utterly helpless.  In time of danger, a sheep will simply lay down where he is and hope for the best.  He lays down and gives himself into the clutches of whatever is threatening him.  There is a reason the Scriptures so often compare God’s people to sheep, and so often point out the mortal danger of sheep without a shepherd.  That lost sheep… That’s us!  In the parable, the sinner is the lost sheep, and Christ is the Good Shepherd who goes out on the search and rescue mission to bring the sinner back to the flock.  Now, don’t worry about the 99 He leaves behind.  They are well taken care of by his assistant shepherds, the pastors (the word “pastor” means shepherd), and they are in the safety of the flock, the fold, the Church.  But so precious is that one lost sheep to Jesus, that He will do anything to get him back. 

            And He does.  Consider this: There is a cost to the shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep.  He exposes himself to the same threats and dangers as the sheep.  There is effort and exertion.  There is pain and suffering.  The shepherd must do battle with the predator preying on his sheep.  And then that shepherd must pick the poor, helpless, bloody creature up and bear the burden of the sheep on his shoulders all the way home.  He must wash and treat and bandage the wounds.  But its all worth it when He returns the sheep to the safety of the fold. 

            So also, there is a cost for our Lord Jesus Christ in rescuing His lost sheep.  He must expose Himself to the same threats and dangers as the sinner.  He becomes fully man, flesh and blood, mortal.  He suffers all the wants and pains of this body and life.  He is tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15).  Yet He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21).  He engaged in mortal battle with the predators who would devour us, sin, death, the devil, hell.  He bore us as a burden on His shoulders, carrying the cross up the hill toward His execution on Calvary.  And in so suffering and dying, He bears us all the way home to Himself in His Kingdom, to this flock and this fold, to wash and bind our wounds and administer the medicine of His Word, His Absolution, the Supper of His Body and Blood. 

            But it is all worth it, as far as He is concerned.  For the joy set before Him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and now He is risen from the dead, and seated at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven (Heb. 12:2).  You are the joy that was set before Him, the joy of having you for His own, saving you from the devil’s clutches, forgiving your sins, setting you free, giving you a place in His house and at His Table.  Like Psalm 23.  What does the LORD our Shepherd do for His sheep in that Psalm?  He sets the sheep a Table in the presence of his enemies.  He anoints his head with oil.  His cup runneth over.  And so you, right here at the Altar, the Table of the Lord, the Bread of Life that is His body, the cup overflowing with His sin-cleansing blood.  And it is a foretaste of forever, of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb that has no end, of heaven, of resurrection.  All heaven sings songs of praise when you are received into this House of the Lord to eat and drink with Jesus.  That is true of every conversion, every Baptism into Christ, every time you repent of your sins and cling to the Lord Christ for forgiveness, life, and salvation.

            The second parable illustrates the same comforting truth from a different perspective.  The woman has lost a very important silver coin, a drachma, about a day’s wages.  This is probably one of the coins from her dowry, a string of coins she wore as a wreath on her wedding day, a gift from her family, savings for the time of need.  Now she loses the coin, and no effort must be spared in the finding of it.  She lights a lamp and gets down on her hands and knees and gets to work.  This kind of house would be dark.  Not many windows or any natural light to speak of.  And the floor would be made of dirt.  Those are the conditions, and the longer the coin stays lost, the more likely it will remain lost, covered over by the dirt and pressed into the floor.

            In the parable, the sinner is the lost coin and the woman is Christ’s holy Bride, the Church!  As Christ’s Body, she is just as eager to find, rescue, reclaim, and restore the sinner as her Bridegroom, Jesus.  Every single sinner is precious in her sight.  But consider this: There is a cost to the dear woman in search of the coin.  For her, also, there is effort and exertion, pain and suffering.  She must get down on the ground, in the dirt, and shine the light of Gospel preaching into the darkest corners.  And in doing that, she, herself, gets dirty.  She takes upon herself the mockery and rejection and persecution of the world.  She is laughed to scorn.  She is taunted and abused, spat upon and beaten.  But she persists.  For the sake of her Husband.  For the sake of the Family.  For the sake of the lost one so precious to Her.  Holy Church preaches the Gospel to the world.  No matter the consequences.  She shines the light into the darkest, most hostile of places.  She sends her preachers.  She sends her missionaries.  She sends her children to confess the faith.  She is not afraid to rub elbows with sinners.  She may even meet in a brewery on Tuesday nights.  There is no place she is ashamed to shine the Gospel light, for the Gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16).  And she knows no matter how dirty she gets in the course of the mission, she is clean and pure, because her sins are forgiven by the sacrifice of her Husband, Jesus. 

            And whenever she finds the coin, whenever she finds the sinner, she throws a party!  And the angels rejoice.  The Church, with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, lauds and magnifies the thrice-holy Name of our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  And she feasts.  She calls together her friends and neighbors and bids them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I lost, the sheep that wandered off, the precious soul purchased by the blood of Jesus, my Love and my Lord.”  The Table is set.  The bread.  The wine.  The Spirit.  The joy.  Jesus Himself is Host and Meal. 

            And the 99 who need no repentance?  That’s the joke, isn’t it?  There is no such thing!  There are only sinners in need of finding, sinners in need of rescue and forgiveness and reception into the House, the Sheepfold, the Kingdom of the Savior.  The only thing that can keep them out is themselves.  Pharisees and Scribes and self-righteous Lutherans who grumble about God’s mercy and refuse the forgiveness and life freely offered to sinners in Christ, keep themselves out!  Because they think they don’t need it.  But in fact, they need it most of all. 

            You are the lost sheep.  You are the lost coin.  But Jesus has searched for you and found you.  He died for you.  He lives for you.  He loves you.  Mother Church has shone her Gospel light upon you, the very light of Christ.  Your sins are forgiven.  You’ve been washed clean.  Your wounds are bound up, the medicine administered.  Now there is only feasting and joy.  You were dead, but now you are alive.  You were lost, but now you are found.  The fatted calf has been sacrificed and heaven rejoices.  Come on in and join the party.  As it turns out, this is all for you.  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son (+), and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.