Lost Things; 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time

In today’s readings things get lost; by happenstance like sheep or by accident like a coin or even by choice like the prodigal son. Yes, things get lost, but not all things want to be found.

 Of course, a human person is not a thing. We have reason and will. We can read a sign post, negotiate the environment. We can call for help. But, even so, we can find ourselves unexpectedly lost, alone and very unhappy, even when surrounded by others.

 Lost, we stray off of God’s well marked paths.  We stumble about in discontent and unease. Our once level and smooth path turns crooked and treacherous. We wander aimlessly (sometimes calling it freedom) in dark valleys. And in the depth of those valleys we lose sight of the Kingdom of God.

 And if we lose sight of the Kingdom we lose sight of God and so we rely solely on man-made idols of excessive individualism and miss-guided self-reliance. Our over blown self-confidence becomes arrogance and “lost” we call ourselves found.

 Today’s Gospel Jesus gives us three examples of the lost and found.

 Lost, we are daydreaming sheep who in our drowsiness wander off meandering through life. We cause little harm, but we do little good. But, through God’s boundless Grace we suddenly become aware that we are not where we should be.  Anxious and frightened we are grateful when we finally hear the good shepherd’s voice. Taking comfort in his presence we turn around, towards home and willingly follow him to our sheepfold.

 Lost, we are like the smallest of coin, feeling very thin of metal and of little value. We find ourselves, through no fault of our own, dropped or tossed out into some dark place. We feel hollow and worthless, forgotten and unloved. Perhaps, in despair, we feel it would be better if we remained lost. Who cares? Who would miss us?

 But, like the diligent women who never stopped looking (even in the darkest of corners) for her lost coin, God, through the relentless movement of the Holy Spirit, scours the earth searching hearts and minds looking for those lost things. Especially those who desire to be found.

We live in a culture and social structure that instills and even demands radical individual freedom and the right to do whatever we want, whenever we want.

 Lost, we are like the prodigal son whose selfishness and self-indulgence blinds him to the father’s loving care and concern. We are the errant child who’s “want” is the only want that matters. And following that road (which is no road at all) we gets lost in the wilderness of self-interest and exclusive self-love which makes us unable to love others.  

 But, like the prodigal son we can be moved by the searching Spirit and so come to our senses. We realize we are not where we are meant to be. We are not who we are meant to be. We rise from the pig sty, in that faraway place, and cry out, “I am lost”.

And perhaps, for the first time, we truly want to be found.  And, now clothed and in our right mind we, as did the prodigal son, head home.

But, not all lost things want to be found or even know they are lost.

 The smug and the self-righteous are like that. The Pharisees and the stay-at-home son were like that. Those lost things do not want to be found because they feel safe and comfortable in their lost state.

Not realizing they are lost, they do not want to know a better way or a surer path. They prefer the way things are rather than the way things should be. They prefer the status quo to the Kingdom of God.

The Good News is that Jesus uses the parable not only to speak on lost things but, to highlight God’s diligent searching, like the good shepherd, the persistent woman, the forgiving father. God’s love searches for all things.

 The parable, with its; gathering of neighbors and friends to rejoice in the finding lost things and the extravagant banquet of thanksgiving the father gives his returning son all point to God’s abundant forgiveness and joy in the finding even the least thing that wants to be found.

 Truth is, there is always the risk of getting lost. We need to travel carefully being mindful of where we are and where we are going and we must care where brothers and sisters are and where they are going. We need to help each other for we can be a stiff necked people. Our paths are obstructed by doubts and misgivings. Our paths are overgrown with foolishness and arrogance. 

But, if we find ourselves lost, we have faith and hope in he who searches for us. Knowing full well that however lost we are, we can always get home from there.

God’s forgiveness and love will always find us. The question we must ask ourselves is do we want to be found.