Skip to main content

God's Embracing Love

The Widow's Coin
“Or what woman having ten silver coins,
if she loses one of them,
does not light a lamp, sweep the house,
and search carefully until she finds it?”


 People lose stuff.

The woman in the parable lost a single coin equal to her day’s wages.

Naturally, she’s looking desperately for the single coin!

Desperate Search

  • As a poor woman, without status in Jesus’ time, she’s frantically searching thoroughly, extremely thoroughly.
  • She’s looking everywhere by lighting a lamp, first making sure she has enough oil to keep the candle lit.
  • She is sweeping an earth floor stirring up dust and dirt.
  • Finally, she finds it!
Celebration

When she finds the coin, she celebrates by throwing a huge party with friends and neighbors probably spending all ten coins a well.

Jesus’ parable tells the listeners this how God works.

Embraced By Love

Mr. Perkins was living in a group home for men

He was lost to his family who were unable to care for him.

Sunday after Sunday he walked 5 blocks from the home to the church.

He arrived at church, wearing his flannel shirt, overalls and suspenders.

He'd stroll  down the aisle to his seat near the front, greeting everyone as he went saying, “Good Mornin”.

One Sunday, just before Christmas, he fell on the ice coming to church and was confined to his bed.

The Men’s group heard about this and decided to visit him.

They gathered around his bed, sang a few carols, and gave him a few presents.

He was overwhelmed with emotion.

God Works Like This

God was totally surrounding him with a loving community.

Certainly, the angels in heaven celebrated as the lost was found.




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ruler of All Earthly Kings

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (from Rev. 1:4-8 ) About 17 years ago I wrote a letter to the people in the United Church of Underhill. The purpose of the letter was to explain I was retiring at the end of the Conference Year. I felt the time had come for me personally to move on and for the church to grow with a new pastor. I secured a moving company while the church formed a search committee as we both prepared for the inevitable. This is the nature of the book of Revelation, as recorded in 1:4: “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia.” This is Revelation’s context: it was written for the benefit of particular people at a particular time for their particular situation. John’s letter narrates a drama about God’s imminent invasion of the “kingdom of this world” ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Deliverance, and Demons

"Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." (from Luke 8:26-39 ) Astrid is a streaming program I often watch. The plot is a basic cops and robbers action until the criminal is caught. The uniqueness of the program is Astrid, who is on the Autism spectrum, is brilliant at solving puzzles including connecting clues to solve the crime. Watching this program has given me a more profound insight to people living with this condition and their acceptance in society. My first-hand experience with children on the Spectrum was driving a Special Needs school bus for 6 years. With this experience, I can imagine the life the possessed man was experiencing, especially living among the tombs, bound with chains and shackles, having to live in the wilds. It was no wonder he cried for mercy. Jesus, with his power and mercy, cast the demons out and even...
Post a Comment
Read more