God’s Joy in Finding the Lost: Two Stories of Love and Celebration (Luke 15:1-10)
Have you ever lost something important—your keys, your phone, or maybe even a favorite piece of jewelry? You probably stopped what you were doing and searched everywhere until you found it. And when you finally did, you felt relieved and happy.
That’s exactly the kind of joy Jesus talks about in Luke 15 when He shares two short but powerful stories. These stories aren’t really about sheep or coins—they’re about people and the deep love God has for each of us.
People Were Watching—and Judging
At the start of the chapter, Jesus is surrounded by tax collectors and people known for doing wrong. They were listening to Him, wanting to be near Him. But the religious leaders didn’t like it. They said, “Why does He welcome these kinds of people?”
Instead of arguing, Jesus told two simple stories to explain what God is really like.
Story One: The Lost Sheep
Jesus said, imagine a shepherd has 100 sheep, but one of them goes missing. What does he do? He leaves the 99 in the open field and goes looking for the one that’s lost.
When he finds it, he doesn’t scold it or push it away. Instead, he puts it on his shoulders, carries it home, and throws a party with his friends because he’s so happy the sheep is safe.
Jesus said this is what heaven is like. God celebrates more over one person who turns back to Him than over 99 who never strayed.
Story Two: The Lost Coin
Next, Jesus told the story of a woman who had 10 silver coins. One goes missing. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it.
When she finally sees that lost coin, she calls her friends and neighbors and says, “Come celebrate with me! I found it!”
Again, Jesus said, this is how heaven feels when just one person who was far from God comes home.
What Do These Stories Mean for Us?
These stories are simple, but they teach something big: God loves each and every person deeply. No one is forgotten. No one is too far gone. When someone who’s wandered away comes back to God—even if it’s just one—there is joy and celebration in heaven.
It doesn’t matter how broken someone’s life is. It doesn’t matter what mistakes they’ve made. God searches for the lost, and when they’re found, He’s not angry—He’s joyful.
Final Thought: You Matter to God
Maybe you’ve felt lost at times—like you didn’t belong, or you’d messed up too much. These stories are here to remind you that God hasn’t forgotten you. He’s still searching. He still cares. And when you turn back to Him, He welcomes you with open arms and a joyful heart.
And if you already know His love, these stories remind us to see others the same way—to care for the ones who feel forgotten, and to celebrate every time someone finds their way home.
Luke 15:1-10 (WEB)
15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him. 2 The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.”3 He told them this parable: 4 “Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? 5 When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.8 “Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost!’ 10 Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”