Who decided that a Louis Vuitton purse was worth $5,000 or that a Mercedes Benz was worth $100,000? We did, well not the majority of us, but the consumer, in general. You see, if no one was willing to pay these exorbitant prices, the companies would be unable to charge them. It is the one who seeks to purchase a product who actually determines the value of it. God led me to ponder this idea as I read the following parable.
Luke 15:8-9 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’”
When I have read this in the past, I have always found it odd that this woman would go through so much to find and then celebrate, even gathering friends to her home to celebrate, the finding of one missing silver coin. Seems like much ado over just one coin. The explanation for this “ado” is found in the next verse, ”Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” God is using this parable to illustrate our value to Him, specifically upon the repentance which leads to salvation. If you were to compare the value of the entire population with that of one person, the individual’s would seem rather insignificant. To God, however, each individual is quite significant and worth His energy and celebration when one who was lost is “found”. The parable right before this one is a beautiful illustration of this point.
Luke 15:4-7 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
Jesus Christ is referred to as the Great Shepherd throughout Scripture and we believers as His sheep. In the book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller (fantastic book, by the way), the author shares his experience of working as a shepherd and describes the parallels that can be drawn between the behavior and needs of sheep and that of people. Both sheep and people are high maintenance creatures, with specific needs, who require a shepherd in order to thrive. A successful shepherd is one who cares for and values each individual sheep; one who is willing to sacrifice his sleep, safety, and very own life, even, to ensure the health and well-being of each and every one of the animals under his care. Does this sound familiar?
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
God became a human being in order to bear the judgement which He, Himself, levied on mankind for our sin. He did this so that He could then draw His sheep to Himself and provide us with the mercy, grace, and forgiveness necessary for reconciliation and an eternal life with Him. He did this because He values the sheep individually, not just as a flock. God values you, personally, to such a degree that He became a human, endured rejection, torture, judgement, and death so that you might be saved. He values you and knows everything about you- every thought, motive, heartache, and sin; and has since before you were even born.
Psalm 139:1-4; 13-16 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
When we look in the mirror, both figuratively and literally, we very often focus on our imperfections. We tend to allow these flaws to convince us that we are somehow unworthy to receive love from God and others. God disagrees with this lie and repeatedly reminds us in His Word that His love and faithfulness is not meted out to us based on our flaws and imperfections; rather, it is lavishly bestowed upon us based on His perfection.
Psalm 103:10-14 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
Never forget that it was God who determined your value when He purchased you with His very own blood (Acts 20:28b). You are known. You are loved. You are valued. You are His.
Luke 12:6-7 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Love in Christ,
Monica Ledford