The parable of the Lost Coin is a story told by Jesus, found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 15:8-10. It’s part of a trilogy of parables about redemption, told after the Pharisees and religious leaders criticized Jesus for spending time with “sinners”. The other two parables in this series are the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Son (or Prodigal Son).
Here’s a summary of the parable:
- A woman has ten silver coins, which are likely drachmas, each worth about a day’s wages.
- She loses one coin.
- She searches diligently until she finds it.
- Upon finding it, she calls friends and neighbors to celebrate with her.
- Jesus concludes by stating there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.
The parable emphasizes God’s desire for a relationship with people and his joy when someone returns to him.
- The woman represents God or someone seeking what is lost.
- The ten silver coins can symbolize people, with the nine representing those with God and the one representing the lost sinner.
- The lost coin represents a lost soul or someone who has strayed from God.
- The search illustrates God’s persistent pursuit of the lost and may also represent the Church’s role in seeking those who are lost.
- Finding the coin and rejoicing shows the great joy in heaven over a sinner’s repentance.
The parable teaches several important lessons:
- God values every person.
- God actively seeks those who are lost.
- Repentance leads to joy in heaven.
- The parable highlights the importance of inclusivity and compassion.
The parable ultimately underscores God’s love and desire for everyone to have a relationship with him, emphasizing the value of each individual soul.
What is the moral of the lost coin?
Even though God has nine of the ten coins, He wants all of them. This parable encourages us in God’s singular devotion to caring for mankind enough to go searching for the lost. Christ spent time with those who needed His presence and teaching to deal with and overcome sin.
How much was the lost coin worth?
From my experience, If you lost that one coin, you’d have worked all week for nothing. The particular coin that this woman lost was a silver drachma. It had a buying power of about $100 in today’s money. It was a significant loss.
What did the woman do when she found the lost coin?
When she finally found it, she gathered all her friends and neighbors for a celebration, telling them, ‘Come and celebrate with me! I had lost my precious silver coin, but now I’ve found it. ‘
What is the difference between the lost coin and the lost sheep?
Good point! McKay suggested that the three parables represent different ways of getting lost: the sheep stands for those who wander from the fold unwittingly; the coin, for those who are lost through the carelessness or neglect of leaders ; and the son, for those who rebel.