Luke 15:8-10: Lost again

Jesus turns to another example. A woman with a 10% shortfall in her most valued treasure. Commentators tell me these 10 coins were probably her dowry, which she would have kept sewed into a headscarf. Perhaps there was a little hole in the scarf, and one coin slipped out.

At once the day's plans are cancelled, and she goes into spring clean mode. Every item of furniture is pulled out, every corner is swept, the house is blitzed within an inch of its life.

In a similar way, Jesus is implying that he is coming and looking for something of value all over Israel, and he will leave no stone unturned in the search for something to rejoice his Fathers's heart. Jesus is hunting every sinner, and the woman is hunting her dowry. It is her birthright, it is her passport to a marriage and a future in her culture. She will not rest until it is found.

Jesus is indicating a similar determination: he will not falter in his quest to carry his appeal to all Israel. Repent, and believe the good news!