"Sweeping Up" (Luke 15:1:10)

Introduction

We know well that God wants to rescue those who are lost in life. And the parables of Luke 15 reinforce this. The “Pharisees and scribes” – the religious elite of Jesus’ day – to whom Jesus originally told these parables – needed to be continually challenged about this … as they found reasons why the ‘sinners’ should remain as outcasts – that pure religion should be protected from such as these. The “Pharisees” were critical of Jesus for associating with those rejected from mainstream society, and so therefore they came under strong condemnation from Jesus.

For, God places high value on all people. Anyone who is lost should be sought for God’s kingdom. We also know that God is wanting to continually reach out to those who are lost … through us. This is our highest priority! So, how can we see a breakthrough in our evangelism? We can certainly find some clues in this parable. This would also apply to those who have drifted away, having previously exhibited faith and been part of the kingdom community.

Losing a Coin

Today we will specifically look at the ‘parable of the lost coin’ – where the meaning is very clear. A valuable coin is lost, a search is undertaken; and when the coin is found, there is a party. God feels about lost people, the way this woman felt about losing one-tenth of what she had. It just had to be recovered! Such is God’s character: God wants the lost to be redeemed, because they are His. So, no time nor effort would be spared in any such patient and persistent search!! The whole house would be turned upside down if necessary! And following the recovery of someone that belongs to Him, such is their infinite value in God’s sight, the whole community of God would celebrate.

Who are the lost? From God’s perspective … these are those who have NOT had any real opportunity of forming a relationship with Him. These are also those, as we said, that, for a vast variety of reasons, have chosen to walk away from God and His church. In many cases, this lack of a relationship with God has led to many negative outcomes in life – through less-than-best decision-making and relational disruption. Despite this, just like in ‘the parable of the prodigal son’ that follows, all God desires is a change of mind, and a sincere heartfelt response to Him, and things can be put right – people can be ‘found’.

Who are the lost? For many and varied reasons … they are the abused and the abusers, the oppressed and the oppressors, the victims and the perpetrators, prisoners – both innocent and guilty; there are the poor and the wealthy, the hungry and those with plenty, the homeless and those with many options, refugees – who have no place to go, all those who struggle under addiction, those who suffer with their physical and mental health … and those who turn their heads the other way; the atheist and the sceptic – those who deny the existence and grace of God, and those who have made themselves their own ‘false’ god; and then, there is also just your normal everyday struggler – the disappointed, hurt, sorrowful and broken. We are all lost, until we are found!

Here is a parable with a simple application – but the part of this that caught my imagination … was the sweeping of the house that went on before the lost coin was found. At the risk of pushing the parable further than was intended, I was reflecting on the implications of needing to sweep the floor before the coin could be found. Obviously there was the usual dirt and dust, that, depending upon the quality of the house-keeping, may just obscure where this coin had rolled. What is it that we may need to sweep up and out?

We note that first … the woman lit her lamp. Even if this incident happened during the day, if you wanted to find something in the dimly lit houses of the time, with their very limited windows, you would need to apply some extra light to the search. And in any case, a good dose of light would be required to see deep into the corners, and under the furniture. Then, in getting out the broom, there may just be a little tinkle of sound, or a reflection of light, when the somewhat invisible coin was moved by a brush of the broom. So it was, in the process of applying light, and then sweeping up around the house, that the lost coin (of great value) was found. What is it that we may need to sweep up and out??

Finding a Coin

What may we need to sweep up, before we find the lost coins of our community? This applies both to our individual lives, as well as to our life together as the church! What might need to be swept up … and out, before we become effective channels of God’s blessing to people around us?? How can we sweep out our house, so that we can become unhindered vehicles of grace? What would be our particular dirt and dust that means we can’t quite see the lost coin?? Yep … our own sin! But before we start forming a list like ‘the Pharisees and scribes’ may have, limited to moralistic judgments, we should turn on our best source of light, i.e. the ‘Light of the World’, the person of Jesus, and reflect on his life, attitudes and priorities.

Sweeping up what?? What about … any unnecessary barriers to people finding God. Anything that obscures Jesus from view! Anything that makes faith harder than it should be (for people to consider)! This would include unfair or negative or judgmental attitudes to people; and certainly would include any expressions of bitterness and unforgiveness. This would include any destructive or abusive behaviours that don’t speak well of God. This would include any speech that is ungracious toward others. This would include any manipulative or controlling behaviours that undermine others.

This would include any inward exclusive thinking that is only inclined toward our own preferences. This would include that faith-reducing risk-adverse desire for self-preservation. And, any show of disunity in the church based purely on personal agendas or selfishness must be swept out. Being negative will just leave the lost … lost! We need to confess any form of negativity, and be changed. We need to forgive and work towards harmony. Formality and traditions must give way to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Any unwillingness to grow in discipleship (or, ‘sanctification’, or transformation toward being new creation) is also likely to be an inhibitor to the onlooker. This tends toward being considered hypocritical i.e. claiming the name (and sacrifice) of Jesus, without paying enough attention to what Jesus stands for. Are we willing to have our world-views and life-patterns conformed to the person and mission of Jesus? Some of these old ‘world-views’ or ‘life-patterns’ have been long-held, even inherited; but they should be up for the scrutiny of God’s Word … as revealed and understood through Jesus, and swept aside as necessary. Negative areas that have become ‘strongholds’ over us, will need particular and concerted attention.

Paul says in Romans 12:2, “Do NOT be conformed to this world, but be transformed BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MINDS, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect”. Faith is NOT static NOR passive – faith should be disruptive … dislodging us from comfort! Can we love our persecutors? Can we model mercy? Can we truly care for our neighbour? This is what Jesus was about! And this is what can be really impressive! We can become like Jesus. This is what happens when we turn on the light and sweep the floor. And then we can notice the lost!

To model a positive example of how a life is being transformed toward the good, which involves a deep compassion and empathy for the hurting, can only speak well of God. And … a church that can model a harmonious collection of very diverse people, functioning effectively together for the good of the whole community, can only speak well of God. Being willing to worship God in all faith, hope and joy, despite personal preferences not always being fulfilled, is a powerful witness to the reality of a caring and transforming God. Sometimes in the church, even when it’s uncomfortable to do so, we just have to change what we do, and put aside our own preferences, for the sake of the lost!

Sometimes we can put up certain beliefs we hold, as of higher importance than others coming to know Jesus. Can they be … really?! We don’t mean to, but because we hold certain beliefs so tightly, we in effect block others from meeting with God. We need to allow others to encounter a loving saving Jesus first, trusting that helpful belief patterns can follow later. Without neglecting the basic principles of salvation through Jesus, we should be open-minded and interested enough to enter dialogue with those coming from different perspectives – if this means that someone may become interested in Jesus. As just one example, there is NO reason why science and theology cannot be friends in the pursuit of truth, rather than adversaries.

We sometimes forget the journey we have been taken on ourselves … from being lost to being found. The reality of where we are now … can make us forget where we once were. Where we have arrived is only through God’s love and grace. This is a reminder about being humble, rather than in any sense superior or perfect. We need to connect in a human way, for ‘human’ is how God made us. Elisa Morgan writes (ODB 25 Nov 2017), “Perhaps … the best response to humans in crisis is to be human, to be aware that we are all the same; after all, isn’t this what God did when He sent His Son – [he] became human in order to help us”. {The party happened when the lost coin was found, not when all the i’s were dotted and t’s crossed.}

In terms of bringing back those who have turned away – being open, vulnerable and real … as humans … is the only way we are likely to guide them back to Jesus. Those who have had their trust broken, built deep resentment, become socially distant, and regressed into themselves – need to be non-judgmentally heard. Having been listened to, they likely need to hear recent and relevant stories of how faith in Jesus works for us. We need to provide, as best we can, a consistent witness to the hope, peace and purpose of following Jesus. We need to be looking for that Divine moment of opportunity!!!

Without pandering to, or enabling, inappropriate or unhelpful behaviour, we need to express unconditional love. True sincere love for others can break down any walls that may exist. You don’t have to agree with the way people live … and believe … to love them.

Conclusion

Sweeping up is a form of de-cluttering – making more space for God’s Spirit to work. We need to sweep the floor, so that we might provide the safest, healthiest, and most redeeming of spiritual communities for all those around us. We need to do everything possible to provide a beautiful place of worship and ministry, that is free of superficiality and hypocrisy. Otherwise … why be here?!?

Have a think! What do you want to sweep away (and get rid of) to make more space for the lost?? An attitude? A resentment? A behaviour pattern? A habit? A distraction? A critical spirit? Being judgmental? Being rigid? Being unloving? Pride? Apathy?

We need to, “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) – so that we might emulate the life of Jesus in our life. Yet, this is not just for our sake, but for the sake of the ‘lost coins’! We need to get all the healing from God’s Spirit that is necessary, so that we are fully released to love others.

Despite the challenges that exist in the world, and despite our own personal difficulties, we should be able to show, to all and sundry, that it is Jesus that gets us up and going each morning. This is NOT the work of tomorrow, which might be seen as a better day; but it is always the work of today!