Tag: Parable

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Daily Devotion May 13th

WEDNESDAY 13th

The Parable of the Persistent Widow – Luke 18:1-8

In our final parable for this week, we have a parable which speaks to us of persistency in prayer. The opening verse tells us who the audience was for this parable, ‘’Then Jesus told his disciples a parable. . .’

When I left school at sixteen I went into the motor trade to train as a panel beater, sprayer and refinisher, I had to learn what was going to be my trade for twenty years from someone who already knew and had practised it. I was very fortunate in that the guy who was going to train me, was very experienced, he was nearing retirement and had spent many years working for Rolls Royce in the paint shop and had had his own vehicle repair business – so when it came to learning from him, he not only knew what he was talking about, but he also knew what he was doing. I spent three years with him, and I can honestly say that that period was the most enjoyable years in my secular employment. I learned from the best, and it became obvious as I progressed into other places of employment, for I had learned skills that I soon discovered others had not been taught.

When we come to our parable today, the disciples were in a position similar to what I was, they were learning, they also spent three years with the Master, and they could say that they had learned from the best! See, when it says ‘Jesus told his disciples a parable, he wasn’t going to teach them something he knew nothing about, he was going to teach them a lesson in prayer and he could teach them the lesson because he himself had learned and practised what it was to pray.

Hebrews 5:17 tells us that Jesus prayed and how he prayed, ‘In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.’ And the gospel writers often mentioned something about Jesus prayer life, Mark 1:35 ‘And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.’ Matthew 14:23 ‘And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.’ Matthew 26:36 ‘Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, Sit here, while I go over there and pray.’

In Luke 11:1 we have a combination of Jesus both praying and then teaching the disciples to pray, they had seen his example and they wanted to follow. ‘Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’  And learn they did from the great teacher. For we find when we come to the book of Acts they continued in the (respectfully I put it this way) trade they had been taught, which included prayer.

Acts 1:14 ‘All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.’ Acts 2:42 ‘And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.’

The disciples learned the lesson of the importance of prayer, and the lesson taught in our parable today is of ‘persistent’ prayer. It portrays a widow who keeps pestering a judge to grant her justice against an adversary, now the parable isn’t saying that God will only answer our prayers to stop us bothering him, what it is teaching us is not to give up. I have to admit, that there have been many times when I have agreed to pray for a particular, need, situation or person and I’ve been faithful for a few times and suddenly another matter arises and the original need either goes on the back burner or even gets forgotten about, I’m sure it happens to us all. But there are other times perhaps we have prayed for a need so many times and have then just given up! Jesus when he taught the disciples is also teaching us ‘Don’t give up’.

What are you seeking God for at this moment? It may be for the salvation of a family member, or a healing, it may be for direction, it may be any number of things, do not give up, keep seeking, keep asking.

Matthew 7:7-11 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!’

The clouds have passed away,

I see the light of day,

The sun is shining through dispelling gloom with

hallelujahs;

I know that this is real,

For in my heart I feel,

That my Saviour heard my earnest prayer.

I know He heard my prayer;

He knows my every care,

He gives to me the blessed victory.

Oh yes I feel Him now,

My loyalty I vow,

I know the Saviour (Lord) heard my plea

The enemy had said to me,

That my faith in God was dead

And if the way was rough, He did not care

(That The Saviour did not care),

Thank God (Thank the Lord) it is not true,

He thrills me through and through

I know the Saviour heard my prayer

I know He heard my prayer.

When in the future days the fiery trials blaze

When Satan comes to me to take away my victory;

I can point him to the time when Heaven’s light did shine

I can say He heard my earnest prayer.

I know He heard my prayer;

He knows my every care,

He gives to me the blessed victory.

Oh yes I feel Him now,

My loyalty I vow,

I know the Saviour (Lord) heard my plea

The enemy had said to me,

That my faith in God was dead

And if the way was rough, He did not care

(That The Saviour did not care),

Thank God (Thank the Lord) it is not true,

He thrills me through and through

I know the Saviour heard my (earnest) prayer

I know He heard my prayer.

I know the Saviour heard my earnest prayer.

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Daily Devotion May 12th

TUESDAY 12th

The Parable of the Ten Virgins – Matthew 25:1-13

The placement of this parable that we are considering today is within the conversation Jesus had with his disciples regarding the end times. In the previous chapter 24, we read in verse 1 that the disciples had drawn the attention of Jesus to the temple buildings. No doubt it was a splendid building, but Jesus makes a startling statement to the disciples that suggested that the temple buildings would be destroyed, with not one stone being left on another. We don’t know how long the gap is between verse 2 and 3, but by now Jesus and the disciples are sitting on the mount of Olives, the disciples had obviously been mulling over what Jesus had said and so they ask him, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ The whole of the remainder of this chapter is the answer that Jesus gave to them, which then leads into the parable before us today.

To summarize what Jesus had said in Matthew 24 is not the purpose of this devotion, but what we do learn is this, in his answer Jesus gives sufficient warning that his second coming would be sudden and at a time least expected. (see 24:42 and 44) This is then confirmed at the end of our parable, 25 verse 13 ‘Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.’

Let us remind ourselves today in the midst of the turmoil, trouble and testing that is shaking the world at this moment as a result of the virus, we who are Christians need not fear, God is in control, and these things will happen before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 24:4-8) We need as it were to keep our eye on the ball, be watchful, be ready, for he could come at any moment.

Jesus uses a wedding scene in his parable, ten virgins who were supposed to be ready to go out to meet the bridegroom, we learn that five were wise, five were foolish. What then made the difference between whether they were wise or foolish? It all came down to whether they had oil with them to keep their lamps burning, so that when the bridegroom arrived, they would be ready.

We are told that the bridegroom was delayed, during the delay their lamps had been burning, but for five of the virgins their lamps were running out of oil and they had no spare oil to top their lamps up. They asked the other five to give them some oil, but they had to answer in the negative, for ‘if we give you some of our oil, there will not be enough for us as well.’ So, the foolish five went off to buy some oil, but alas, too late for while they were gone the bridegroom arrived and the wise five went into the feast and the door was shut. On their return the cry was made from the foolish five, ‘let us in’, but it was too late.

The purpose of the parable is to warn us to be ready for when Jesus comes again, by keeping our lamps trimmed and having a fresh supply of oil. If the wick of a lamp wasn’t trimmed regularly, the light would eventually diminish, give off an unpleasant smell and weaken, so keeping our lamps trimmed speaks to me of cutting off from our lives anything that is likely to frustrate our walk and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. There are so many things today that could hinder our walk, or our alertness and our readiness for our Bridegrooms arrival. Lacking oil could be symbolic of several things, it could refer to becoming spiritually dry and barren, through our lack of prayer, fellowship, and the reading of the Word. It could refer to our lack of dependency upon the Holy Spirit, it could simply be our loss of interest and desire for the things of God, even maybe a flirtation with the things of the world! In the parable it led to the five foolish not being ready!

The parable is all about ensuring that we watch our lives in the light of his impending coming, ensuring that we are in continual fellowship and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, being spiritually fed and spiritually alert as we wait for his arrival.

In Luke’s account of the second coming teaching of Jesus, he doesn’t include this parable, but in an earlier chapter he gives a similar warning, Luke 12:35-40 ‘Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

In bringing this devotion to an end, as you are reading this, are you ready? Is your lamp trimmed and burning bright? Do you have some fresh oil? Are you looking up in readiness for the arrival of our Saviour?

Do you know him personally as your Saviour, if not make yourself ready by allowing him to come into your life as your Lord and Master, come to the cross and repent of your sin, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

A final point, the five foolish virgins could not use the oil that belonged to the five wise virgins. When it comes to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot depend on someone else’s relationship to get us into heaven! Each one of us needs to make a personal decision to trust him as Lord and Saviour.

We will have an old Sunday school classis as our song for today

Give me oil in my lamp,

Keep me burning,

Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.

Give me oil in my lamp,

Keep me burning,

Keep me burning

Till the break of day.

Sing Hosanna! sing hosanna!

Sing hosanna to the King of kings!

Sing Hosanna! sing hosanna!

Sing hosanna to the King!

Give me joy in my heart,

Keep me singing.

Give me joy in my heart, I pray.

Give me joy in my heart,

Keep me singing.

Keep me singing

Till the break of day.

Give me peace in my heart,

Keep me resting,

Give me peace In my heart, I pray.

Give me peace in my heart,

Keep me resting.

Keep me resting

Till the break of day.

Give me love in my heart,

Keep me serving.

Give me love in my heart, I pray.

Give me love in my heart,

Keep me serving.

Keep me serving

Till the break of day.

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Daily Devotion May 10th

SUNDAY 10th

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23m- The Parable of the Sower

For some of this week, we will take a brief look at some of the parables of the Lord Jesus. The parable before us today is a well-known story, the sower and the seed. Jesus gave the parable to the crowd who were listening, (v2) but, it seems that he only gave the explanation to the disciples (v10-11).

Let’s set the scene, Jesus had gone to sit down by the sea, I can imagine him just listening to the gentle sound of the breaking waves, watching the sunlight glistening off the sea and the birds diving to catch the fish that swum too close to the surface. A moment of personal space, but not for long as the crowds arrived and so he got into a boat and began to speak to them in parables.

When I read this parable, I like to think (forgive my imagination) that Jesus was not only looking across the crowd, but out beyond them and in the distance he could see a man who had not joined them, he was too busy, he was one of the local farmers and he had work to do. He needed to get the fields planted to enable a harvest in a few months and so the inspiration comes for the parable.

In our modern age it is too easy to think in modern ways, but we need to remind ourselves that this farmer didn’t have a tractor and a seed drill that could cover a vast area each time he drove up and down the field. Back then it would have been an extremely hard day’s work, walking back and forth sowing the seed in the scorching sun. The sowing would have taken place by ‘broadcasting’, that is by taking a handful of seed from a sack or bag hanging from the shoulder and throwing it out across the soil. I remember when I was about 14 years of age, my dad saying to my brother (18 months younger) and I that we were going to spend a few days at a great uncle’s farm near Leominster. We assumed that we were having a few days holiday, but soon learned, not so, (we should have known better) our great uncle had some work that needed to be done and we were going there with the purpose of helping him out. We soon discovered that he needed a field to be planted with grass seed, and no, we weren’t going to be using a tractor and seed drill, we were going to have to do it the old fashioned way by walking in straight lines back and forth using a seed riddle. It was hard work, even for farmer’s boys!

And the sower in our story for today was working hard, up and down, back and forth, sowing the seed in readiness for a harvest.

We know the story well, some fell on the pathway and became food for the birds, some on the rocky ground where the seed had no soil to root, and so it withered and died, some fell among the thorns and thistles and as it began to grow it became tangled and choked, but some fell in the good soil and it rooted, grew and produced a harvest.

We could look at the farmer and think well why was he not a bit more careful with where he sowed? Why did he cast some seed on the pathway, why cast some seed among the rocky ground, why cast it among the weedy areas, why not be more careful? Well, we could ask these questions and never find any answers, but the one thing that is so important in this story is this – at least he sowed and at least out of what was sown he reaped a harvest, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty.

Can I use my imagination again? As I look back in my mind and see Jesus sitting in the boat, telling the parable to the crowd that were listening, and at the same time seeing this man sowing, even if some of the seed fell on the path, or in the rocks, or among the weeds, at least some of it fell in good soil and he got a harvest! Is it possible that we can become so content sitting at the feet of Jesus, coming into fellowship week after week, listening to sermon after sermon,(and yes I believe in the importance of and priority of preaching) that we forget to sow! We are wanting to be spiritually fed ourselves (and yes this is vitally important) while at the same time we can easily forget that outside there is a world full of people that are dying in their sin and heading to a lost eternity. I wonder how often we have heard it said, ‘God will bring them in,’ well although this may happen, the reality is God expects us to go and get! (Matthew 9:37-38 ‘Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”’)

We have the answer, it is the seed of the Word of God, the seed that was planted in our hearts however many years ago it may have been is producing fruit, but the same seed needs planting into the hearts of men and women around us. (1 Peter 1:22-25  ‘Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.’)

I have already mentioned that back in Jesus’ day, sowing wasn’t easy, and often we don’t find the task of sowing the seed of the gospel easy, but just as modern methods have made it easier for the farmer today, so modern methods make the sharing of the gospel so much easier today. We have easy accessibility to so many tools to help us in our ways of sharing the gospel.

May God help us individually and collectively to be willing to become sowers of the seed of the Word of God, looking for opportunity to share the good news of the gospel, yes, we may get rebuffed, we might come across stony hearts, or hearts that are full of weeds, but at the same time we will come across hearts that are ready to receive the seed as we plant it. Just remember this, no sowing, no harvest!

In John’s gospel, after Jesus met with the woman at the well, we read of him saying to the disciples, (John 4:35) ‘Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.’ During this difficult few months with the pandemic, hearts have become troubled, people have realised not only how fragile life is but also how precious it is, we need to be praying that one of the outcomes will be that hearts will also be ready to receive the seed of the word of God, that will bring to them hope not only for the here and now, but hope that will last into eternity.

I do not ever remember going back a few months later to see how successful my brother and I had been in sowing the field with grass seed. Our great uncle did not come looking for us so I assume it must have been okay! (and we went back to help him again) The point here, we had sowed but he (our uncle) got the benefit. We may sow but never see the benefit, we may sow and as the seed grows the individual may end up going somewhere else, what matters is that we have sowed. 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 ‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labour. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.’

To the work! to the work! we are servants of God,

Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;

With the might of His power our strength to renew,

Let us do by His grace what He calls us to do.

Work for Him by His grace;

Work thru Him for His praise;

Work with Him all the days;

And work in Him in many ways.

To the work! to the work! let the hungry be fed;

To the fountain of life let the thirsty be led;

In the cross and its vict’ry our glory shall be,

While we herald the tidings, “Salvation is free!”

To the work! to the work! in the strength of the Lord,

By the pow’r of His Name, with the light of His Word,

All the slaves of the darkness of Satan set free

And His riches of grace in His glory we’ll see.

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Daily Devotion May 4th

MONDAY 4th – Luke 15:11-32

We return to the chapter from yesterday and continue into the third story that Jesus told to the listening crowd. The story of the lost son, or the prodigal son.

Like the two previous parables this is also well-known and ends up with a celebration, except this time we are told much more about the celebration in the farming family than we read about with the shepherd and the woman.

In this story, the younger of the two sons chose to leave the safety and security of the family farm to go and to do his own thing. We know the story, he wanted the future (his inheritance) in the present, he thought he was adult enough to look after himself, he thought the grass was greener on the other side, and so he got what he wanted, he went where he wanted, he did what he wanted and he ended up in a bit of a mess.

Obviously we see here the picture of the prodigal, or backslider, but at this point in the devotion, I want to suggest that we can often be like this son, we are living in the safety of our heavenly Father’s care, he has bountiful provision for us, not only an eternal inheritance but provision for the present day. And yet, we want more than he wants us to have, we forget to ask for or to get his advice and we try to make our own decisions and often we feel the grass is greener on the other side. He has a plan for our lives and yet we want to do our own thing. Looking at this parable should teach us that it is far better to stay in the safety and security of our Father’s homestead than to go off seeking to do our own thing. This is often how backsliding begins, putting our own self and personal ambition before the will of God.

To come back to the parable, we see the son, at his lowest point, feeding pigs, this would be an insult to a Jewish family and he was so hungry, he could have ate the pigs food, and no one gave him anything. Then we get to verse 17, ‘But when he came to himself’ or ‘to his senses.’ He began to look at his present situation, he remembered the past (what he had been) and began to think again of the future. (what he could be) He remembered the comfort of the family and farmstead and he longed for home. So much so that he knew that even if he only went back as a servant, he would be better off than in his present situation. So, speech prepared off he went, to use a modern phrase, probably with his tail between his legs, thinking, ‘I’m going to have to eat some humble pie.’

But the story has an incredible ending. He did not even make it home, his father was waiting for him, and threw his arms around him, kissing him, and he called for a party. (vv22-23) And why not, listen to what dad said, ‘Let us eat and celebrate. For this MY SON was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and his found. And they began to celebrate’ – there were new shoes, a new coat, a ring on the finger and dinner with the best beef. He got a lot more than he could have ever hoped and dreamt for while sitting amongst the pigs in squalor, for such was his father’s love for him. He welcomed the prodigal back into the family and home, not as a servant but as a son, able again to enjoy the privileges of living at home with mum and dad.

The remaining verses tell us of the older son, he was not a happy bunny, he was angry, he was jealous, he was anything but what he should have been. Whereas the younger son had said I want, the older brother was also all about ‘me’, I have done this, I have done that, I didn’t do what he has done etc. and he complained about the party, the celebration. A warning for us in the family of God to make sure our hearts are right in our attitude towards those who have wandered, not to become proud or haughty, thinking we are better, but to remain humble and prayerful that our lost brothers and sisters will come home. I want there to be parties in heaven yet again not just over sheep and coins being found but rejoicing over prodigal’s returning.

Thank God our Heavenly Fathers’ arms are always held wide open to receive the wandering sinner, but the same arms are also held wide open to receive back the prodigal, the backslider, ready to reinstate their rights as the sons and daughters of the household of God.

Two points for us to finish with today.

First, maybe someone is reading this today that thinks a little like the younger son, I want to do my own thing, I want to go, the grass is greener the other side. Think over this story and learn the lesson the easy way rather than the hard way as the son had to. The grass is not greener, things are not rosier, for eventually by going your own way and doing your own thing you will end up with the pigs and more so with the ‘pig’ himself! Stay in the safety of our heavenly Father’s home, with his family, in a place of safety and security that is not only for now but also for eternity. Our heavenly Father has an eternal inheritance ready for each one of us, do not squander yours by doing your own thing and going your own way.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;

Prone to leave the God I love:

Take my heart, oh, take and seal it

With Thy Spirit from above.

Rescued thus from sin and danger,

Purchased by the Savior’s blood,

May I walk on earth a stranger,

As a son and heir of God.

Secondly. We all know those who we would say are backslidden, there is hope as this story tells us and many have already come to their senses, don’t give up, keep praying that the wayward prodigals, the son’s and daughter’s will return back to Father and home.

Part 3 (Continued from yesterday)

Further on outside the town,

A farmer lived with lots of ground,

Two sons he had who worked quite hard,

In fields and in the farming yard.

The youngest of them said one day,

I really want to run away,

I’ll ask my dad for what I’m owed,

And wander off along the road.

His dad his portion to him gave,

And watched him go as he did wave,

With tears that fell-down, both his cheeks,

Too sad to argue or to speak.

The lad he travelled off quite far,

And spent his time in all the bars,

And soon he found his money gone,

What would he do from now there on?

He found a job feeding some pigs,

It also meant he had some digs,

But hunger always made him ill,

He ended eating the pig swill.

One day all dirty and forlorn,

He thought of home and then did mourn,

‘If only dad would take me back,

As servant then I would not lack.’

So off he trotted back to home,

No more to squander or to roam,

But will they want to welcome me,

Of that there is no guarantee.

As near the farmyard he did get,

His heart was filled with deep regret,

He saw a figure running fast,

And shouting ‘Son it’s you at last.’

Before he even said a word,

His father hugged him undeterred,

‘Son my heart is full of joy,

To see you back my dearest boy.’

The father called to servants near,

‘Rejoice with me my son is here,

Get fatted calf and choicest wine,

Let’s have a party, come let’s dine.’

The older brother in the field,

His anger struggled to conceal,

‘A party for your wreck-less son,

But not for me with all I’ve done.’

The father spoke out loud and clear,

‘My son was lost or dead I’d feared,

But look he’s here and still alive,

Rejoice with me home he’s arrived.’

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Devotions

Daily Devotion May 3rd

SUNDAY 3rd – Luke 15:1-10

As we commence another new week, how would you personally review the past six weeks?

I must be honest, that when I started writing the daily devotions starting with the 22nd March, I did not think I would need to be preparing them for such a long period of time. Over this period, we have covered various topics, and gone to many different Scriptures. My prayer is that sometime over this period that the Word and the devotions will have ministered in some way to our Church family. As I’m preparing for this week’s devotions I am hopeful that by the time I am sending them that we may be close to being able to get back to having gathered Church again, where we can be together in fellowship in safety and with hearts that are overflowing with joy.

For Sunday – Tuesday this week we will think of the word ‘celebrate’ and then again on Friday as this week Friday is a Bank Holiday to celebrate or to commemorate V.E. Day

Our Scripture today comprises of two well-known stories or parables that Jesus taught. A parable is described as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning or, as an earthly illustration to bring out a spiritual meaning. Tomorrow we will consider the third parable in this chapter.

In the first parable, a shepherd has lost one of his sheep, in the second a lady has lost one of her coins. That which was lost in both stories was of value to the owner. One sheep out of a hundred may not seem much, but if your living depended upon it then a 1% loss is a loss and should it have been a pregnant ewe then an even bigger loss. One coin out of 10 again may not seem too bad, but it is a 10% loss. One percent or ten percent, it does not matter, something was lost, and the Shepherd went to look for the lost sheep and the woman did all she could to find the missing coin.

At the end of the first story, having found his sheep, the shepherd calls his neighbours and friends saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Likewise, the same with the woman after finding the coin, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’

First, let us be honest, I wonder how many farmers call their neighbours to rejoice when they have been out and found a lost sheep? I spent 23 years living on a farm and believe you me sheep are always breaking out and getting lost – but I never ever remember my dad throwing a party after finding a lost sheep! The same with a coin, we have probably all lost a coin, and maybe spent ages searching for it, but I guess you never ran around your neighbours houses shouting out to them ‘rejoice, I lost a coin and have found it.’ But here in the parables they did!

Why? Because the story is emphasising not so much the value of a sheep or of a coin, but of a lost soul. Remember verse 1 says that Jesus was sat with sinners and eating with them, and the Scribes and the Pharisees were grumbling and criticising Jesus for spending time with them. So, Jesus told the parables to explain what he was doing – he was looking for lost souls! This is what it says in verse 7 after the sheep in the story was found, ‘Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.’ And in verse 10 after the coin was found, ‘Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’

The loss of a sheep is not good news, the loss of the coin was not good news but what is even worse is the loss of a human soul. A sheep can be replaced, a coin can be replaced but not a soul.

The Bible says that ‘All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each one to our own way.’ (Isaiah 53:6) As lost sheep we were bound for eternity to be lost forever, but the Shepherd came to find us. The Shepherd came to seek and to save the lost. It is ironic that to be able to do this, the Shepherd became a lamb as Isaiah 53:7 says, to be slaughtered on our behalf so that we could come into his fold, under his care as the Good Shepherd.

And just like the coin was precious to the woman who had lost it, so the human soul is precious to God who created it! (Genesis 1:27) And like the woman who did all she could to find the precious coin, so God intended to do all he could to find lost human souls.

And when a ‘lost sheep’, a ‘lost coin’, a lost soul is found there is a great celebration in heaven, there is joy in the presence of the angels.

Again, I have to be honest, when I look back to when I was found on May 18th 1969 after this parable of the lost sheep was the subject of the preacher, there wasn’t a party in the church, nor when we got home as a family, yes the preacher was excited, my parents were excited, I was excited, but there is one thing for sure there was a great celebration in heaven.

Imagine the celebration on the day of Pentecost when three thousand were saved! It would have been an ‘all-nighter’, think back to the moment when you were saved, and imagine the party in heaven over your being found. And the angels still like to celebrate, the Shepherd is still looking through the hillside, crags and briars, the woman is still sweeping through the house, the heavenly ‘champagne’ is always ‘on ice’ ready to celebrate.

The challenge today is this, are we willing to become like shepherds to go out and to look for the lost sheep, are we willing to be like the woman and to sweep through our neighbourhoods, looking in the nooks and cranny’s to find the lost souls that need saving. Are we willing to do whatever it takes so that the angels in heaven can celebrate again?

Instead of the usual hymns for today and tomorrow I am using a poem which I had already written myself based on Luke 15. It is in three parts, part 1 and 2 today and 3 tomorrow.

Part 1

A shepherd with a flock of sheep,

Cared for them on the mountain steep,

He led them into pastures new,

And luscious grass they all did chew.

He watched them through the day and night,

He never let them from his sight,

One day he counted them all up,

But alas, he’d lost a little tup.

There should have been a hundred sheep,

His watchful eye on them to keep,

How could one have gone astray,

I’ll look for it without delay.

He left the others in the fold,

And went out in the night so cold,

He searched the valley and the plain,

While getting soaked with all the rain.

But hush, he listened to a sound,

It came as if from rougher ground,

He followed as he heard the bleat,

And saw his tup caught by his feet.

The brambles tangled in his wool,

He’d struggled hard and tried to pull,

But got himself in such a mess,

He’d driven himself to deep distress,

The shepherd caught him with his crook,

And in his arms his tup he took,

He cut the briars all away,

And fixed him up without delay.

Back to the fold they both did go,

And then a party he did throw,

‘Rejoice with me for I am glad,

My sheep are all back in the pad.’

Part 2

A woman living down the street,

She found her necklace incomplete,

Ten coins it really should have had,

One was lost and she was sad.

She turned her cottage upside down,

It must be here it must be found,

She searched the cupboards, swept the floor,

And looked behind each of the doors.

She moved the carpet and the mat,

And even scurried out the cat,

And as she pushed aside a drawer,

The tiny coin her sharp eyes saw.

It must have tumbled through a crack,

But she was thrilled to get it back,

She called her neighbours and her friends,

‘Rejoice my necklace I can mend.’