The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 16, 2007

Preached at Providence Lutheran Church, Holland, O.

Pastor Dennis R. King

"God Does Care for You!"

Luke 15:1-10

The Grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all. Amen!

The Gospel lesson for today is a beautiful Gospel lesson. I love the parables of Jesus. They tell us powerful stories. They are powerful messages for us to receive and take with us and to share with others. These particular parables could be looked at from a variety of different ways. This morning, I look at them from the stand point that God has taken care of us. God takes care of you.

The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the employee’s home telephone number and was greeted with a child’s whispered, “Hello?” Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to a youngster, the boss asked, “Is you Daddy home?” “Yes,” whispered the small voice. “May I talk with him?” The man asked. To the surprise of the boss, the small voice whispered, “No.” Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, “Is your mommy there?” “Yes,” came the answer. “May I talk with her?” Again, the small voice whispered, “No.” Knowing that it was not likely that the child would be left home alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message with the person who should be there watching over the child. “Is there any one there besides you?” The boss asked the child. “Yes,” whispered the child, “a policeman.” Wondering what a policeman would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, “May I speak with the policeman?” “No, he is busy,” whispered the child. “Busy doing what? Asked the boss. “He is talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman,” came the whispered answer. Growing concerned and even worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the phone, the boss asked, “What is that noise?” “ A hello-copper,” answered the whispering voice. What is going on there? Asked the boss, now alarmed. In an awed whispering voice, the child answered, “The search team just landed the hello-copper!” Alarmed, concerned and more than just a little frustrated, the boss asked, “why are they there?” Still whispering, the young voice replied (along with a muffled giggle). “They are looking for me!”

Think of yourself as one of God's children. Wherever you wander, wherever you roam, wherever you hide, God will wander and roam with you and look for you. You may wander far from Him. You may find yourself lost or in trouble. But God cares for you. He continues to seek you out just like those kids who push the panic button when they cannot find those special toys or blankets. In that same way, God seeks after you. Think about that. If you have had one of those incidents in your own home you know how dramatic it is and that there is no peace until the lost item has been found. In that same way and with even more love than we can imagine, God seeks after us.

He gives us these parables, the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. These parables even have additional meaning when you remember that Jesus told them in front of the Scribes and Pharisees. There are those even in the church that say "some people are so far gone, they are so lost that there is no sense seeking after them any longer." They are on their own. They are out there in the scary sinful world on their own and there is nothing we can do to bring them back.

In that same way, the Scribes and Pharisees were saying that Jesus ate and drank with sinners. Those were the folks who were so far gone, so lost and sinful and unclean that the Scribes and the Pharisees would not associate with them any longer. Jesus tells these parables. No matter how lost, no matter how far from God and the church, no matter how sinful someone is, Jesus still looks for him. No matter how horrible their lives may look, Jesus is still seeking them out to bring them into his fold. For us, as human beings and also sinners, it is hard for us to imagine that Jesus would love us, would seek us out, and would then go even beyond that and seek out those sinners whom we sinners think are sinful and disrespectful, unclean and unfaithful. But He does.

It does not always make sense to us. Sometimes we like to say that the church should take care of its own. The church should take care of the members that show up on Sunday morning. The church should take care of the ninety-nine. In the business world, people say we need to take care of the business and cut our losses. But when we talk about God's grace and Jesus' love and His faithfulness, we find that He goes far beyond that kind of thinking. He does not cut anyone off. He never gives up. He continues to search and to seek that we might know how much we are loved by God. You are cared for very much by Him.

Think about those lost coins. Can you imagine, that widow, down on her hands and knees searching every square inch on the floor for that lost coin? In today's world, I find lost coins on the street all the time. Pennies roll away from people and people say, "Ah, it's just a penny." Even dimes and dollars are left on the streets. To tell you the truth, I have even found a twenty-dollar bill laying on the street. It amazes me that an individual will lose something and not even go looking for it. But God is so different in the way he acts in His Son, Jesus Christ. He continues to seek us out. He cares for us. He looks for us when we are lost. Can you imagine all the work that woman did to find that lost coin? Then think of God, think of God gently bending down to earth and looking for you. He looks for you when you are far off. He looks for you when you are near. He wants to find you. Wow, the love that God has for us. He cares for you!

Conrad Hyers in his book, And God Created Laughter tells of an eight year old girl who wrote to Abraham Lincoln, who was then running for President suggesting that he grow a beard. In her opinion, Lincoln would stand a better chance of election if he grew one to hide the homeliness of his face. Lincoln could have been offended, but instead he answered her letter personally and thanked her for her suggestion, and added that he’d like to visit her when his campaign came to her area.

On the day that Lincoln’s compaign train was scheduled to pass through the town, practically the whole town was assembled at the station. There were leading Republicans wearing their top hats, the shiny band, and the townsfolk in their finest attire. Almost everyone was there… all except the little girl. She was left home. After all, her father reasoned, Lincoln would be interested only in the politicians and their speeches – the votes and the voters – not the attentions of a little girl.

It so happened, however, that as the compaign train approached the town, it was forced to stop for repairs. Lincoln, not wanting to sit in the warm train, set off across the field afoot in search of the little girl’s home. When Lincoln introduced himself at the door, the maid was speechless. But the little girl and her playmate, the maid’s daughter, welcomed him in as if they were expecting him. The two girls had been having a pretend party, drinking pretend hot chocolate out their small teacups and they invited Mr. Lincoln to join them. After a while, Lincoln said he must be going, thanked them for the party, and asked them how they liked his new beard. Then he walked to the waiting train.

When Lincoln boarded the train, it started on its way and went right through the town without stopping. Right past all the waiting dignitaries, politicians, loud playing band and flag draped platform; right past ladies and gentlemen in their Sunday best… for Lincoln hadn’t come to visit people who were putting on a show for his benefit. He had come to visit and say thank you to a little girl who just wanted to spend time with him.

God does things differently than what we expect too. We think we are welcoming. We think we are friendly. But God is even more welcoming and more friendly. He goes so far beyond what we can ever imagine. He looks not only for us but He looks for those other people as well. So they might be brought into His fold, and so they might know of His love.

How often does it happen that one loses something? Then he finds it and rejoices. What a relief it is to you when you have found something, you have lost. What a joy, it is to celebrate something being found.

In both parables, we see rejoicing. Rejoicing is an important part of what takes place in these parables. Rejoicing is an important part of what takes place in our lives as well. When we are lost and God finds us, he brings us back and shows us how much he cares for us. Certainly we should give thanks to God and rejoice. When someone else is found by God and is brought back into our midst, there is a time for rejoicing and celebrating as well. Some people might say that God is almost foolish in the way he celebrates.

There is a gospel song entitled, “That’s when the angels rejoice” written by Larry Bryant. It goes like this:

When the Model T first hit the street,

It didn’t bring all Heaven to its feet.

And when the first computer was born,

They didn’t blow Old Gabriel’s horn.

There’s only one thing that we’re sure about

That can make those angels jump and shout:

It’s when a sinner makes the Lord his choice;

That’s when the angels rejoice.

Now Heaven doesn’t strike up a band

For any old occasion at hand;

It’s got to be a special thing,

To make those angels smile and sing.

Now when the United States became a nation,

There was no angelic celebration.

But when one lost sinner comes back home,

They jump for joy around the throne!

Can you imagine the women that found that coin throwing a party to celebrate the fact that she had found her lost coin? Somewhat ridiculous and foolish, isn't it? And yet, it is not foolish in the eyes of God. It is very important when someone is found by God. He is ready to rejoice and he wants all of us to rejoice with him. Those, who have been lost, have been found!

We come here to worship. As we come, we have such a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fact that we are forgiven. God washes the slate clean. We are made right with Him. He is rejoicing because we have come into His presence and because He has found us. He has not only found us but He is working to transform us from sinners into His precious saints. We are His children. His love for us AWESOME! We do not deserve to be sought after and yet He seeks us out. He cares for you and me. He goes with us wherever we go. We are His children. You are His flesh and blood and you can share with others. You can share with them no matter how low they are or how sinful they are or however far from God they are hiding. God is still seeking them out. He wants them to be a part of His fold also. He wants them to know that He cares for them.

May you know that God cares for you. May you share that message with others that they too may hear that so loving and powerful message that God cares for them too no matter how lost they are. Amen.