I WAS ONCE LOST BUT NOW AM FOUND

HOMILY FOR THE 24^TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

♫♫Amazing grace, how sweet that sound; that saved a wretch like me. I was once lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.♫♫ During my Primary school days, it was always the case that whenever items are lost and a pupil finds or discovers the lost item, an announcement is always made: there is a lost and found item. The owner rushes and collects the item, and everyone would see the intense feeling of joy and gladness in the owner of the item that was lost. Yes, it is a principle of human nature that the recovery of an object in danger of being lost affords much more intense joy than the quiet possession of many that are safe. We rejoice over a child rescued from danger or disease more than over those who are healthy or safe. These words form the foundation of my reflection today.

In the Gospel today (Luke 15:1-32), many tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus. Seeing this, the Pharisees and the Scribes murmured against such an act because they look forward not to the saving but the destruction of the sinner, but Jesus told them some parables. What is a parable? Parable comes from the Greek word parabole. In the New Testament, parabole designates the wise sayings or the fictitious short stories used by Jesus to set forth his teachings. One thing peculiar with every parable of Jesus is that Jesus uses it to communicate a deep truth about the kingdom of heaven. Today, we encounter three of such parables:

·       Parable of the lost and found sheep

·       Parable of the lost and found coin  

·       Parable of the lost and found son.

These parables have the singular theme that revolves around God’s abiding forgiveness and the human need of repentance. From the parables too, we discover that repentance produces two principal effects: the joy of God in heaven, and the goodness of man on earth. We now take them one by one.

THE PARABLE OF THE LOST AND FOUND SHEEP

This parable has two principal moral fibres: the moral fibre of the shepherd and the moral fibre of the sheep (from which one got missing). The shepherd of the New Testament Era was personally responsible for the sheep. These shepherds were so responsible that they make every effort to find any strayed sheep, or at least bring home the fleece to show and confirm how it has died. Another point is that many of the flocks were communal flocks, belonging not to individuals, but to villages and communities. There may be two or three shepherds in charge. If any sheep gets loss, at least one shepherd must be on the search to discover the lost one. The whole village will be on the watch, and when in a distance, they saw the shepherd striding home with the lost sheep across his shoulders, there is a shout of joy and thanksgiving from the whole community. This is the imagery Jesus draws of God. Just as the community is glad over a lost and found sheep, so also God (and heaven) is glad over a lost sinner who is found.

The moral fibre of the sheep too is a great lesson to us. If you are in Christ (that is, among the 99 sheep that were not lost), you must count yourself worthy and not behaving like the Pharisee who portray self-righteousness and seek for the destruction of the sinner. You must pray that the one lost will be found in order that your number may be complete. Remember, when that one is found, there is a complete joy. We must learn never to rejoice over the suffering of others. We must rather work and pray that the suffering be alleviated. As a sinner (the lost and found sheep), remember that men may give up hope of you, but God never gives up. God loves the person that never strayed, but there is the joy of joys when a lost one is found and comes home.

THE PARABLE OF THE LOST COIN

It would not be difficult to lose a coin in a Palestinian peasant’s house and it might take a long search to find it. The houses were very dark, and the floor was beaten earth covered with dried reeds and rushes, and to look for a coin on a floor like that was very much like looking for a needle in a haystack. It was so difficult but the woman insisted in searching even though the coin was so negligible. The woman treasured the coin. This is how God treasures every one of us, even when we think ourselves to worth nothing. God is in deep search for us whenever we get loss; and when he finds us through our repentance, he is most joyful.

THE PARABLE OF THE LOST AND FOUND SON

This parable popularly known as the parable of the prodigal son is actually one of the most popular short stories in the world. There are many issues and lessons in this parable. Firstly, under Jewish law, a father was not free to leave his property as he liked. The elder son must get two-thirds and the younger one-third (Deut 21:17). It was by no means unusual for a father to distribute his estate before he died, if he wished to retire from the actual management of affairs. The father is never obliged to listen to the callous request of the younger son, but he did not argue with him. He just obliged him and granted his request. The younger son then made away with his share of the property.

This prodigal son finished the money in a distant land, suffered and then realized his mistakes. That was when he decided to come home again, and plead to be taken back not as a son, but in the lowest rank of slaves. The father accepted him with deep joy and gladness, accepted him as his beloved son, and gave him a sound reception. This parable spells out intensely the father’s love for a son who sinned. This tells us about the forgiveness of God. The love of God is far broader than the love of man; and that God can forgive when men refuse to forgive. In face of a love like that we cannot be other than lost in wonder, love and praise.

RESUME

In these three parables, we notice the recurrence of the expression ‘lost and found’ which I have carefully used to drive home my points. It is carefully used to depict that the story does not end in the loss but in the discovery, in the renewal, in the revival, in the resuscitation, in the recovery. What do you do when you have fallen down? Do you remain there? Or do you stand and pick up your mat to walk? Many times, we are complacent with sin. We prefer to remain in sin than to come back to God. The problem does not lie in falling down, but in the ability to rise when one has fallen.

Another interesting thing in these parables is that they touch things, animals and persons, and these represent the three important categories of living realities: plants, animals and man. The first concerns an animal; the second concerns a thing, while the third concerns a human person. This means that anything created can get loss and be found with the condition of proper search and disposition. No one is above getting loss, and everyone can be found. No one is above sin; for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). Hence, we must all say the prayer of the tax collector: God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner ( Luke 18:13). And the Lord does surely forgive. The First Reading (Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14) today demonstrates how the Lord relented in the punishment he wanted to inflict on the Israelites when Moses pleaded for his mercy. We must be rest assured that the Lord relents whenever we call upon him to forgive us the punishments due to our sins. Let us therefore sing with the Prodigal son: ♫♫ Yes, I shall arise and return to my Father ♫♫.

We must note that these three parables are not simply three ways of stating the same thing. There is a difference. The sheep went lost through sheer foolishness. It did not think; and many a man would escape sin if he thought in time. The coin was lost through no fault of its own. Many a man is led astray; and God will not hold him guiltless who has taught another to sin. The son deliberately went lost, callously turning his back on his father. The love of God can defeat the foolishness of man, the seduction of the tempting voices, and even the deliberate rebellion of the heart. (cf. Barclay William, commentary on the Gospel of Luke).

May the Lord continue to give us a humble and a contrite heart to always approach him whenever we have been weighed down by sin. Good luck to you as I wish you a blessed week ahead. God bless you.