Looking at Love from the Other Side

No matter how long I have studied the Word of God I always find something new. I have recently gotten to Luke 15 in my Bible study. Now I feel like I know Luke 15 pretty well. I mean I've taught “The Lost Sheep,” “The Lost Coin,” and “The Lost Son” every year of 25 years to Christian school students in elementary grades during Bible time (not to mention in Children’s Sunday School classes, Vacation Bible School, or camp Bible classes.) So when I got to this chapter I gave a ho-hum yawn and thought I’d just skim it and go on. But, no, God took me to a new place, a new realization.

I had always looked at this passage as Jesus showing that He diligently looks for and loves the sinner. And that’s how it’s supposed to be looked at I suppose. I was saved as a child so this passage was for how much God seeks and loves the lost in my way of understanding.  But this study put me in the lost person or thing’s place. How would I feel? What would I be going through in life? What would God’s love look like to me?

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Luke 15:4

That sheep was in an utterly helpless and hopeless situation. He had wandered from the safe haven of his protective shepherd and was looking at certain death unless he was rescued.  He had accidently fallen into a desperate deadly future. But the shepherd searched and rescued that sheep. I don’t know about the feelings of sheep but I would feel relieved, safe, comforted, and reassured. I would be forever thankful and indebted. I wouldn't take that salvation for granted. But isn't that what I do?  Every time I think I can do this thing called life all by myself I put myself in the ungrateful category. Yet God loved me when He searched for me, this lost sheep, and still loves me even when I forget how I felt without Him.

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? Luke 15:8

OK, I know inanimate objects such as coins have no feelings but this coin had absolutely no worth while it was lost. Its worth was only in the hands of the owner.  It didn’t even know it was lost. But the owner did. The lady who owned the lost coin took all of the responsibility of finding it. The coin did not and could not do anything for its recovery. That was me too. Even when I didn’t realize I had no relationship with God, He knew and sought me out. He did all the work for my salvation. He paid the ultimate price to find me. That’s ultimate love. When I try to show God how good I am I’m forgetting that I was lost and alone until I was found.

A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.” So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living… So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. But the father said…”for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.” Luke 15:11-23

How many times have I rebelled against all that God has given me and is willing to give me to just go my own way? And God lets me figure it out and come back. He doesn't say, “I told you so.” He doesn't hold it as a record against my future with Him. He just continues to love me. How did that son feel? Did he ever feel His father wasn't being fair after the fiasco he made of his life? I don’t think so. Could he ever doubt his father’s love after that experience? I don’t think so.

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

That rescued a sinner like me.

I once was lost, helpless, dying, and rebellious.

But now I have been found.

I see Christ’s love from the other side, 

my side.