Extreme Grace (3) – The Extremely Diligent and Patient Searcher

In my two previous posts, I have talked about the parables of the lost sheep and the lost son in Luke 15. The second parable in this trilogy is the parable of the lost coin. I believe that the woman in this parable who lost her coin and went about diligently and patiently searching for it is a picture of the Holy Spirit.

In this story, a woman had ten coins and lost one. Many bible commentators believe that these coins could be part of the woman’s dowry. The Amplified Bible says that one coin was equivalent to a day’s wage, which means that the coin was very valuable to her. When she lost it, she made every effort to recover the lost coin. Luke 15 tells us, “Or what woman, having ten [silver] drachmas [each one equal to a day's wages], if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and look carefully and diligently until she finds it?” (Luke 15:8 The Amplified Bible)

If we understand that Palestinian homes at that time had no windows to let the light in and the floor of their homes were usually dirt floors covered with straws, we would appreciate the extent the woman went through to search for that one lost coin. She patiently lit a lamp and diligently and carefully swept the entire house to look for that lost item. “…light a lamp and sweep the house and look carefully and diligently until she finds it” (verse 8) The key word here is UNTIL, the woman searches until she finds the lost coin. She patiently and diligently searches UNTIL she finds it.

As in the other two parables that Jesus told in Luke 15, there was extreme rejoicing when the woman finally found her lost coin. She rushed out and called her friends and neighbours to her house to celebrate her joy in finding her precious lost coin. “And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: 'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!” (Luke 15 :9 The Amplified Bible)

This parable depicts the Holy Spirit as the One who is always searching the earth for the lost and when He finds one and reconciles him to God, there is extreme jubilation and rejoicing in heaven. “…Count on it—that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God." (Luke 15:10 The Amplified Bible)

I want to end this series on the extreme grace of God with this beautiful quotation by Soren Kierkegaard from my favourite book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace?”, by Philip Yancey. "When it is a question of a sinner He does not merely stand still, open his arms and say, “Come hither”; no, He stands there and waits, as the father of the lost son waited, rather He does not stand and wait, He goes forth to seek, as the shepherd sought the lost sheep, as the woman sought the lost coin. He goes – yet no, He has gone, but infinitely farther than any shepherd or any woman, He went, in sooth, the infinitely long way from being God to becoming man, and that way He went in search of sinners.”

Aren’t you moved by this extreme grace? I am completely bowled over!