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We’ve all lost something of value; a stuffed animal, a homework assignment, our car keys, or even a smartphone. Or more seriously, a job we enjoyed, a home where we belonged, or a relationship we cherished.
When we lose something, it can no longer fulfill its purpose. Lost keys can no longer open doors. Lost jobs can no longer provide for our needs. For the woman who lost her coin, the coin could no longer be spent. It was just a piece of metal, somewhere out of reach.
If you have a job, how much do you earn in a day? Perhaps you’ve received a significant amount of money for a birthday or graduation? For the woman, the coin amounted to something similar. Imagine what you could do with that money. Would you accept losing it without at least trying to get it back?
As Jesus tells this story, it’s easy for us to relate to the woman, but Jesus has a surprise for us. The woman does not represent us. The lost coin does! The woman, on the other hand, represents God. That means we are his fortune, his valuable treasure, and the reward for his hard work. But we are lost.
Being lost can generate feelings of insecurity. Where we once felt easy and carefree, we now feel anxious and weary. We don’t know why we are here, where we’re going, or how to get there. What is something valuable you remember losing? Do you remember the heartache you felt? God feels that same heartache for anyone who is lost.
Now recall the purpose that thing had in your life. Remember the joy it gave you, that’s the kind of joy God has when people return to him.
A coin has a clear purpose. It’s meant to be spent. But when a coin is lost, it becomes utterly useless, an inert piece of metal. Even a stolen coin can be used by a thief, but a lost coin has no use.
When we are lost, our own purpose is lost too. We can no longer do what God made us to do. But there is good news; just like the woman, God is turning heaven and earth upside down to find us. He will do whatever it takes, even become human like us, to rescue and restore us.
In the face of our insecurity, Jesus became like us, so we could become like him.
Jesus used a coin in another famous story. This coin was stamped with a silhouette of Caesar, the emperor of Rome. Opponents came along hoping to trick Jesus. They essentially asked, “Should we, the oppressed, pay taxes to Rome, the oppressor?” A wrong answer could have gotten Jesus arrested. However, Jesus took the coin and said, “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Luke 20:25)
Jesus’ point was profound. God made each of us in his image. We reflect his likeness and glory. Therefore, we belong to him and are made for a purpose.
Just like a divine coin, God’s image is upon us. How might God want to spend us?
As we search for where we should go and what we should do, we don’t need to look any further than Jesus. We see God’s purpose in Jesus. In the New Testament book of Colossians, it says that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (1:15). Jesus spent his life in relationship with God the Father. He did whatever he saw the Father doing (John 5:19). We can spend our lives doing the same.
We each have one life to spend. We can spend it hiding from God and wondering what we’re here for. Vainly, we can try to secure our own purpose and determine our own destiny, or we can choose to come out of hiding and live as Jesus did.
Jesus has given us a great and good picture, a perfect image of God’s purpose for our lives. In the face of our insecurity, we can look at the life of Jesus and find our purpose there.