A serious search for a single coin
Daily Scripture
Luke 15:8-10
8 “Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won’t light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it? 9 When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
It’s easy to miss how inclusive Jesus was in his day’s male-driven culture. “[The first parable] pictures a man at work, and the next one features a woman at home.” * For most of us, coins are no big deal. But for a first-century woman, “The ten silver coins are most likely the woman’s ketubah, or dowry—the only money she brings into the marriage that is technically hers even if the marriage is dissolved.” ** In her [likely] dimly lit home with a straw floor, the woman “carefully” hunted for the coin.
- If you found a lost quarter (or even a silver dollar, unless it was a very rare collectible), would you call your neighbors to have a party? Jesus ended this parable by saying again, “Joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.” What makes one person as valuable to God as a first-century coin was to a woman for whom the coins were her one link to financial survival? How can you value people as much as God does?
- Think of a time when you joined in celebrating big, good news for a family member or friend. What was the cause; what was the celebration like? Have you ever had the privilege of celebrating that someone you care about has “changed both heart and life”? Are there people you value enough to go out of your way to reach out and touch for good? Is there someone in your sphere of influence (family, friend, co-worker) you particularly sense Jesus calling you to “seek and find”?
Prayer
Gracious God, you came in the person of Jesus to seek and save the lost. Come into me each day to touch the lives you are still seeking. Amen.
GPS Insights
Jaime Kernaghan
Jaime Kernaghan is the Small Group Specialist at Resurrection Leawood. She previously worked as Praise & Worship Coordinator with Resurrection Kids. Jaime has an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in Sociology, with a minor in Psychology, and an M.S. Degree from Friends University; she is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Jaime is passionate about her work in connecting people. Outside work she enjoys time with family, friends and her foster son, as well as her two dogs, and her cat-dog. Jaime loves yoga, reading, writing, hammocking and time at the lake.
When I think of celebrating someone who has changed both “heart and life,” I think of my sister-in-law. When my brother married her, I was blessed to inherit a sister-friend. She is one of the bravest, strongest, most passionate people I know. She loves her people big and can strike a good balance between boundaries and going out of her way to support her people. She knows how to say no, but when she says yes, she is all in! I admire her so much.
Recently, I have been able to celebrate a huge win for her. In 2019, she was diagnosed with a kidney disease, Membranous Nephropathy. This type of disease required her to undergo dialysis multiple times a day, as her kidney function went from 15% to 8%, as well as go to the doctor for regular labs, and eventually to need a kidney transplant. From the outside, she took this all in stride. On the inside, she felt fear, uncertainty and frustration with the limitations her illness imposed on her daily life as a mother of seven, a grandmother, a wife, a sister, a business owner, and a friend.
Thankfully, in August 2023, she received a kidney transplant from a young organ donor between 20 and 25 years old. Although she struggles with the reason (someone else’s loss) she was able to receive a new kidney, she is so grateful for the opportunity to enjoy a more healthy, full life. My sister-in-law exemplifies what it means to “find her lost coin.” And her family, friends and those around her, do not hesitate to celebrate WITH her what God has done in her life, and the opportunity for joy to break out amongst the presence of God’s angels. This is such a reminder of how valuable we are to God, and how he makes miracles happen every day, if we are patient and seek His guidance.
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Richard B. Vinson, study note on Luke 15:4 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 143 NT.
** Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993, comment on Luke 15:8.
