BEING FOUND

God is most like himself when he gives. And the most perfect demonstration of his giving is his forgiving. In the Luke 15 parable when sheep, coin and son are found there is great rejoicing. Following the return of the lost son there is “great rejoicing” in heaven as the family celebrates his return. One of the clearest ways to know God, and to receive what He has revealed, is to understand His great forgiveness and acceptance. The sheep is placed back in the flock, the coin is found by the woman and the son is welcomed home to the joy of the generous and forgiving Father.

Our response to the loving Father is the humble act of being found and restored by Him. It is difficult to be found. It is easy to be lost. Being found is His work and being lost is our doing. To be found requires humility and to be lost requires pride. One says, “I can’t find my way” and the other says, “I will decide what my way will be.” Being found causes the Samaritan leper to return and give thanks for his healing and the other nine to never look back with gratitude. It is hard to be found because we must admit we are lost and this chips away and cracks open our independent and self-reliant shell. We are exposed as needy. Only a generous God can come to our need with such loving tenderness that we do not feel ashamed and belittled by His coming. The disciple matures quickly with this understanding because we see that we have stopped asking for grace, as we turn again to receive the offered grace, and move quickly to giving thanks. We have been found.

“And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.” Jesus