Things that Are Lost…
Back in the day, I loved to watch game shows like “Jeopardy,” “Password,” and “The $25,000 Pyramid.” You might remember the Pyramid show. The highlight was the contestant going to the circle, facing away from the clue board, and then guessing what the other contestant was trying to describe. For example, if the clue was “Things that Fly,” the clue-giver might say, “A plane, a bird, a kite…” Hopefully, the clue-guesser would exclaim, “Things that Fly!” Dollar prizes were rewarded, and if the clue-guesser got all six clues, they would win $25,000.
Jesus was a great clue-giver. He told a story about a man who found a buried treasure someone had lost. Filled with joy, he went and sold all he had and bought the field just to make sure the treasure was his.
He told another story about a pearl merchant who traveled from town to town, buying and selling pearls. One day, he was offered a magnificent pearl by a fellow pearl dealer. It was an exorbitant price. But the traveling merchant sees more than the local dealer. The traveler sells all he has and meets the local man’s price. I imagine the local dealer thought he had made the deal of a lifetime. He had no idea the value he just lost.
Jesus told three stories in a row about lost things. In the first story, a shepherd lost a sheep. He left the ninety-nine sheep he had to search for the one lost sheep. When he found it, he was filled with joy. The one lost sheep was as important as the ninety-nine he had.
His next story was about a woman who lost a coin. It represented a tenth of her wealth. She searched all over her house until she found it. When she does, she calls out to her neighbors to rejoice with her because what was lost was found.
Then Jesus tells the complex story of the two lost sons. One son is lost because he demands his father to divide his estate. He goes and lives in a distant land, spending his money in “riotous living.” The contemporary term might be “living large.” When he spends all his money, he is reduced to being a professional hog-slopper. He finally comes to his senses and heads home. When he approaches home, dirty, smelly (have you ever smelled someone who slops hogs?), weary, his father runs to greet him. The son recites his rehearsed apology, but the father calls for a party.
The second lost son is the elder brother. He is an example of being lost while staying home. His resentments gush out in a refusal to attend his brother’s party. When his father leaves the party to beg him to come, he protests he never had a party, his brother squandered the estate, he is the one who worked hard and has been good, and it is just not fair. He’s lost because he lives with an amazing father he does not understand. Jesus stops the story there to make us squirm. It is an invitation for soul-awareness: which brother are you?
One of Jesus’ clues is hidden underneath his anger. He lashes out at religious leaders, telling them they put heavy burdens on the backs of men, and then they do nothing to help the people they have burdened. They travel long distances to make converts and end up making them twice as worth of destruction as they are. He declares these religious leaders to be hypocrites, blind guides. They are lost and do not know it; their religious pride has blinded them.
What do all these clues add up to? I imagine Jesus in the clue-giver chair saying, “A buried treasure, an opportunity missed, a missing sheep, a missing coin, a rebellious son, a hardened heart, prideful religious people…” The truth finally dawns on you. You exclaim, “Things that are lost.”
Jesus might go on to the next clue: “God in the flesh, miracles, a cross, an empty tomb…” You shout, “Things that bring redemption.”
Jesus then looks at you with the final set of clues: “You, you, you, you…” A tear forms in your eye. This time, you do not shout; you whisper: “Things you save.”
The buzzer sounds. You have won. You hug Jesus. You understand he is for you, not against you. He did not come to condemn you. He came to save you. You matter to him.
You realize the Kingdom of Heaven is worth everything. When you find it, you no longer desire to hold onto what seemed so important moments before. You let go. You take hold. Jesus says, “Now that you are found, let’s have a party.”