One of my favorite comedians is George Carlin. I haven’t heard much from him lately, but back in the 70’s and 80’s he was quite popular. If you know anything about George Carlin you know that he is very intelligent. Much of his humor comes from his wry, bemused observations of the wacky world around him. And much of his humor comes from his insightful and witty reflections on the strange way we use language. Sometimes, he’s a little over the top for my tastes…but, often, his observations strike a funny note with me. You should hear, for example, his comparison of football and baseball. I’m not going to go into it now, but part of the foundation is based on the language used to describe both sports—from football being played on a "gridiron" with names like "Soldier’s Field," and "War Memorial Stadium," to baseball being played on a "diamond" with names like "Camden Yards" and "Wrigley Field." Anyway, it’s quite humorous.

One of my favorite Carlin bits, however, dealt with funny things people say—one of which is when we lose something and we’re searching for it, our keys for example—and exasperated we say, "They’ll probably be in the last place I look!" Now admit it, how many of you have said that at one time or another? Yes! And Carlin’s humorous bit with that was—why do we say that? Of course they’ll be in the last place we look. Who finds something and then keeps looking for it? "Oh good, I found my keys on the kitchen counter…but, they could’ve been here in the sofa! Or, they could’ve been up here on my night stand!" Who does that? Of course the thing we’re searching for will be in the last place we look! Who searches for something after they’ve found it?

Well…if we could say that about anybody, it would be God! We could say that because Jesus, in telling these two parables, describes a God who searches passionately for the lost—a shepherd who doesn’t settle for 99 out of his 100 sheep being safely gathered in but goes in search of the one lost sheep, and a woman who doesn’t settle for having nine of her 10 coins safely in her possession but practically turns her house upside down searching for the one lost coin. God, like them, searches passionately and fervently for the lost. In that, there is both good news and a challenge for us.

First, the good news. If ever the term "lost" might be used to describe you—or you use it to describe yourself—know without a doubt that God cares deeply about you and reaches out in search of you with compassion and zeal. There is no clearer indication of that than the story of Easter—that Jesus Christ would suffer upon the cross for your sin and mine that we might be seen as righteous before a Holy God, and then to rise up from the dead that we might have victory over sin and death. It is God’s amazing grace about which we sing, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see." Easter is all about God’s amazing grace and love that prompts His diligent search for the lost.

And God’s searching for us does not end with His initial success in finding us. God continues to search our hearts—even when safely back in the fold with the other 99 sheep, or restored to the collection of the other 9 silver coins—God continues to search for us and offers His loving care. Just as one can well imagine that the shepherd returns the one lost sheep to the flock and then continues to care for it and the other 99—leading them to green pastures where they can safely eat and lie down, to still waters where they can stop and drink free from danger—so does God care for the lost He has found. Just as the woman returns the silver coin to her collection of 10—a collection that most likely was a band of silver coins that marked her marriage, like a wedding ring of today—just as she continued to care for this precious collection, cleaning it and polishing it, so does God care for the lost He has found. God continues to search for us because, while He loves us just the way we are—He loves us exactly as He found us—He does not want to leave us there. God wants us to become more like Jesus. And so God continues to search for us. How are we doing? What kind of shape are we in? What kind of care do we need? I found my precious lost one over here…but, where are they now? What do they need and how can I offer my love and care for them?

The good news of Easter and of these two parables Jesus tells is that God passionately searches for the lost…and continually searches for the lost that they might be restored. The good news is that we can never stray so far away, never become so lost that we are beyond God’s searching love. Remember, Jesus tells these stories in response to the "Holier-than-Thous" muttering that Jesus "welcomes sinners and eats with them." "This is why," he responds. "Because the lost are a priority with God. The shepherd leaves the 99 in safety to go in search of the one lost sheep. In the same way, there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Elsewhere, Jesus answers this same criticism by saying it is the sick who need a doctor and not the well, that is why he welcomes and eats with sinners. They need a doctor. They need a loving shepherd. They need someone searching for them who is willing to crawl inch by inch throughout the house until she finds what she is searching for. "God is like that," Jesus says, "and so am I. That is why I welcome sinners and eat with them." The good news of these stories, confirmed by the events of Easter, is that in our "lostness," God lovingly searches for us. We are never too lost to be beyond God’s searching care.

That is the good news. The challenge is that God calls us to the same passion and zeal for the lost. Jesus says, "This is what God’s priority is, it’s my priority also, and it should be yours as well." Once again, the Pharisees are models of the religiously self-centered. Their muttering about Jesus’ inclination toward sinners comes from their separatist attitude. Pharisees collectively referred to lesser folk as "People of the Land" and they had rules and requirements about not associating with such people. It was beyond their imagination that God should not only care about these people, but actually makes them a priority. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine in search of the one. The woman stops everything she’s doing, lights a lamp, sweeps the house and searches carefully until she finds the one lost coin. Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them. There is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Can you say the same thing about yourself? It is what God wants for us. Not the attitude of the Pharisees who would count themselves not only among the ninety-nine, but the rams among the ninety-nine and disdaining the one lost. Not the attitude of the applicant for an usher position at a movie theater, who, when asked in the job interview what he would do in case a fire broke out in the theater, replied, "Oh, don’t worry about me, I’d get out okay." No! What would you do to insure that others were safe? We need an attitude more like that of a search and rescue team, about whom we hear much…and depend on greatly in this Rocky Mountain state. Search and rescue teams put their lives on the line to save others. Leaving the safety of their homes, they go out in a focused search for the lost who need their help. Typically, a search and rescue team has the motto, "This we do so others may live." That is what the church is called to do—that is what the disciples who make up the church are called to do…be a search and rescue team.

That is what God wants for us. It is what Jesus models for us. It is what the truth of Easter communicates to us. God loves the lost. Not only that, God searches for the lost. God searches for the areas of "lostness" in our lives. God does that because He knows the good news of Easter is what is needed for our lives. And, once we have received that, once we have discovered how truly amazing God’s grace is, He wants us to join Him in His search and rescue efforts…that other voices would join in singing, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.

Let us pray.

-Prayer for those who have been lost, never accepting God’s salvation through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

-Prayer for those once found, but have strayed away from God’s grace and Lordship over their lives.

-Prayer that we might fervently join in the search of others who are lost, to bring to them the good news of Easter

A moment of silent reflection to consider the importance of Jesus’ words…and the resurrection for us today.