The Great Pursuit

     “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses
     one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and
     search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds
     it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and
     says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
     In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the
     presence of the angels of God over one sinner who
     repents.”
                                  (Luke 15:8-10)

In P. D. Eastman’s classic children’s book Are You My Mother? a baby bird hatches from its egg to find it is alone in the nest. Having fallen from the tree, the little bird goes on a quest for its mother–only the bird doesn’t really know who it is looking for. The little bird encounters a kitten, a hen, a dog, a cow, a boat, and a plane, and it asks all of them the same question: “are you my mother?” The baby bird is discouraged but doesn’t give up. Finally, with a little help from a bulldozer, the baby bird finds its way back to the nest, where its mother has returned with juicy worms. All is well as the mother and baby bird snuggle together in the nest. The beloved has been found.

Have you every lost something dear to you–or to someone you love? Maybe you’ve spent hours on your hands and knees looking for a lost heirloom or a child’s favorite toy that disappeared. Chances are you did whatever you could to find the lost object, because when something is precious to you, you’re willing to go to great lengths to get it back.

Luke’s Gospel says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (9:10). Throughout the centuries, God said he was coming to rescue God’s people, that they had not been forgotten, that God’s covenant would be kept with them. So, when the time was right, God sent Jesus, whose birth was part of a mission to save God’s people. Through Jesus’ teaching, we see that God is a seeker, always in pursuit of God’s people.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables (the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son) to describe God’s unfailing love for and pursuit of God’s lost people:

     “‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you
     that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in
     heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-
     nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
                                             (Luke 15:6b-7)

     “‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same
     way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the
     angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
                                             (Luke 15:9b-10)

     “‘But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this
     brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost
     and is found.'”
                                             (Luke 15:32)

As Sally Lloyd-Jones describes so beautifully in The Jesus Storybook Bible, “You see, no matter what, in spite of everything, God would love his children–with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.” God was intentionally pursuing us, and the manger is a beautiful picture of the lengths God was willing to go in order to reach us, whatever the cost. Jesus came to earth as a helpless, poor baby, and said, “This is My body which is broken for you” (1 Corinthians 11:24b NLV).

Charles Wesley’s beautiful words tell us of God’s gift to us through Jesus:

     He left His Father’s throne above
     (so free, so infinite his grace!),
     emptied himself of all but love,
     and bled for Adam’s helpless race.
     ‘Tis mercy all, immense and free;
     for, O my God, it found out me!

Prayer Focus
Meditate on the parables in Luke 15, which describe God’s relentless pursuit of you and the joy God has in calling you God’s own. How do you feel knowing that God went to such great lengths to rescue you and be in relationship with you? Express your heart to God now.



From Rob Renfroe and Ed Robb, The Wonder of Christmas: Devotions for the Season