Have you ever lost something really valuable? Do you remember how that felt? Usually you start to feel panicked as you begin searching everywhere for the lost item. As time goes on and the most probable places are searched, you begin to grow even more panicked as you are unsure if your item will ever be found again. Then, finally, the item is found. Do you remember that joy you felt at finding the item? What was lost is now found.

What we see in our Gospel text is the same joy, only this joy is so great that a party is thrown. Jesus tells two parables that shows that God loves us and will do anything for us. This explains the lengths that God will go to save those lost souls. Jesus says that God is like a shepherd who has 100 sheep and loses one. The shepherd does not say to himself, "I already have 99 sheep, what’s the loss of one more." No the shepherd goes out and searches for this lost sheep through every ravine and on every cliff until he finds his lost sheep. Jesus says that God is like a woman who has 10 silver coins and loses one. She does not say to herself, "I already have 9 other coins, why worry about one lost coin." No, she searches everywhere through the house looking for that lost coin and will do anything to find it. When she finds it, she calls all her friends together and throws a party.

It is just like that, God is so excited when one lost soul is found that he calls all the angels together and celebrates in heaven. God tells each one of us, "I will search through the entire world and do anything for you."

Jesus told these parables because some were unhappy about the kind of people that Jesus was ministering to. They believed that they were the chosen of God and God would have little to do with those they saw as sinners. However, they probably did not realize that they too were lost and did not even know it. God was also searching for them and would even throw a party for them once they were found.

May be times that we are lost and don’t even know it. When we sin, we become lost. However, the good news is that God will search everywhere for anyone of us. God will do anything to find us and forgive us of all our sins. God has always been searching for that lost sheep or that lost coin, which is actually us. Once found, God does not tuck us away in a safe place, but calls all the angels together to celebrate. Anyone of us is worthy to have a party thrown for them in heaven.

God even came into the world to find his lost sheep. Jesus Christ came into the world to find those who were lost. Jesus suffered the pain of crucifixion for that one lost sheep. Jesus suffered the pain of rejection for that one lost coin. Jesus did all of this for us – the lost sheep or lost coin. We are the lost sheep or lost coin, something very precious to God.

Even just one of us is important to God. Even just one of us is precious to God. Even just one of us is enough for God to search through the highest mountains or lowest valleys for us. Anytime we feel lost and alone in this life, we can always remember that we are precious to God. God will never abandon us. God will do anything to find us.