The Parable of the Lost Coin:

“Or what woman, having ten silver[a]coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The Lord Jesus has been called a master storyteller, and the Gospels are filled with His tales. In His hands, each one entertained, connected with and taught whoever heard them. Jesus used parables in particular to reach his listeners in a powerful way. One, known as the parable of the lost coin, imparts a basic and wonderful truth about His Father’s love. It is a timeless lesson, meant to encourage us in our faith. It’s easy, though, to read through these stories too quickly. I’ve found that slowing down and settling into a parable often brings out its deeper meaning, and what I learn sticks with me better. With that in mind, let’s explore this “Lost Coin” parable to find its treasures.

Jesus utilized this method of storytelling to great effect in His ministry. The Lost Coin is an example of a similitude parable, which was when the speaker described a real-life situation that the audience could relate to. In this case, it was losing a valuable piece of silver. The Lost Coin parable is actually one of a set of three short stories found in Luke 15. They were meant to help Jesus’ listeners learn more about the Kingdom of God. Jesus narrates a story of a woman who realizes, perhaps later in the evening, that one of her ten silver coins has gone missing. Any of His listeners would understand this woman’s anxiety. So they would agree that lighting her lamp and doing a full-scale search through the house would be logical steps to take. After she finds it, the woman is elated. Unable to keep the news to herself, she announces the discovery to those around her, and invites them to celebrate with her.

The effectiveness of this story comes partly from Jesus’ choice of image. In His day, women usually received ten coins as a wedding present. Each piece held sentimental as well as monetary value, so the loss of even one was very upsetting. The woman would have felt the loss keenly, and would have been willing to go to great lengths to find her coin. Jesus goes on to say that God sees every person as having great value. The Lord feels great sadness when anyone is lost, following the ways of the world instead of Him, and longs for them to return. The fact that He sent Jesus to Earth was proof of that. Christ claimed in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

As the story comes to a close, the woman has carefully searched until she finds the missing silver. She shares her great joy with neighbors and friends. Jesus directly compares her reaction to God and the angels rejoicing when a person repents of their sin, believes in the Son, and submits their lives to Him.