LOST AND FOUND
Today’s lessons are like visiting the Lost and Found department in a store or an airport.
In Jeremiah we hear these dire words: “For my people are foolish, they do not know me; they are stupid children, they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good.”
Foolish, stupid, skilled in doing evil.
Poor lost souls.
In today’s Psalm, it’s not any better.
Listen to what the Psalmist says: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God.’ All are corrupt and commit abdominal acts; there is none who does any good.”
And a little later the Psalm says: “Every one has proved faithless; all alike have turned bad; there is none who does good; no, not one.”
Talk about being ‘lost’!
In Paul’s letter to Timothy, we began to find out about being ‘found’. Paul writes: “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.”
So, if someone like Saul (Paul’s original name) who persecuted Christians and had them killed, can be found, so may we all.
Saul was blinded by Jesus on the Damascus Road. He was blind for three days until the Lord gave him new eyes, a changed heart, a new name and made his apostle to the Gentiles.
Lost and found indeed!
But Luke tells us the real Lost and Found story.
He was preaching to sinners and tax collectors and hears the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes. He tells them the story of the lost sheep and lost coin and how the shepherd and the woman searched until the lamb and coin are found and how finding that which was lost gives them great joy. “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel ‘lost’.
And when I do, I just remember, God is searching for me and longs to find me.
We are all, in our way, lost and found.
Let’s have a few moments of silence to ponder that….
Shalom and Amen.
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