Luke 15:8-10
{15:8} Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if
she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the
house, and seek diligently till she find [it? ]{15:9} And
when she hath found [it,] she calleth [her] friends and [her]
neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have
found the piece which I had lost. {15:10} Likewise, I say
unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner that repenteth.
From my understanding it wouldn’t have been difficult for this woman to replace a piece of silver. So the question is; why was she so intent on finding it and why did she rejoice so much when she found it?
Some insight from various commentators I’ve read….
In New Testament times women were typically provided a dowry by the groom. Often this included ten silver coins. The bride to be would take the coins and make a head dress out of it to wear on her wedding day. To loose part of her dowry or to present herself on her wedding day with a head dress missing a coin with humiliate her father and make her appear wreckless and undesirable to her groom…it could cost her marriage to the groom. A woman in Christ’s day couldn’t imagine the horror of such a mistake. Any woman would frantically search the house using whatever means necessary no matter what time of day or night. Upon finding it she would rejoice in tears calling all her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her because she found the coin. The thing at stake wasn’t so much the coin…but the woman’s relationship with the groom. She was doing all she could to ensure she didn’t loose her relationship with the groom.
Some commentators I’ve read indicate that each piece of sliver in the wedding head dress represented a commandment of the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. Symbolically this represented the covenant relationship between God and his people. Having lost a single coin could indicate that a single commandment was broken…placing one’s whole relationship with God at risk. The sinner realizing that they are guilty of breaking a single commandment will do all they can to restore their relationship by virtue of repentance, regardless of personal cost. This brings rejoicing in heaven because a relationship between the sinner and the eternal God is restored.
The parable isn’t about a coin at all…nor is it about the woman. It’s about one’s relationship with God.
To compare this with self derived conclusions….
I once heard it preached that the coin was “lost in the house” and how a saint can be lost in God’s house either by hiding sin or by being consumed with the work of the Lord until they are just performance driven. The church was challenged to love one another and to find that lost saint and restore them to relationship.
While that was a moving and powerful message…
it’s totally out of biblical context. Instead of teaching “surface reflection” from the Scripture the preacher could have preached a powerful message about our love for the groom, the necessity of ensuring we are ready for our wedding day, and the necessity of keeping all of God’s Commandments.
How’s your head dress beloved? Are you missing a coin? What is that one thing that could cost you your relationship with the groom. Find time to search your heart and life by the illuminating light of the Word and make your calling and election sure.
Commentators can be very valuable as shown above. But like was mentioned in another post there will be doctrinal issues on occasion. At that point you have to pray and follow the leading of the Spirit regarding what you will specifically choose to believe. Take heart though, no one knows all things or will know all things. You have to follow the Holy Ghost…sometimes…against the flow of modern tradition.
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