ONE PARABLE – TWO LESSONS

In Luke chapter fifteen there is a short two verse parable that hold a wealth of learning for those who
want to know.
Luke 15:8-9 (KJV)
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?
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.
This doesn’t sound like something real special. In our modern occidental minds a piece of silver doesn’t
sound like much, but, when you understand the significance and the value of the coins, that goes far
beyond the monetary worth, you will see why Jesus used this example.
The giving of the ten pieces of silver was an oriental custom. The groom would give the ten pieces of
silver to his bride. They were not money, but, jewelry which the wife would wear in her hair on very
special occasions. On one side of each of the coins would be an engraved picture of something depicting
the stature and history of the groom’s family. If the family were wealthy sheep herders then the image
might be of a well fattened sheep. Perhaps carpenters would have a depiction of a hammer and a
saw.This is similar to the family crests of the British Isles. On the other side of the coins would be
stamped the year the couple got married.
The coins had little hooks on them that the woman would fasten into her hair, five on one side of her
head toward the front and five on the other side toward the front. These coins could easily fall out of
her hair if she wasn’t careful.
The wife would only wear the coins on very special occasions such as a twenty fifth wedding anniversary
and only for a short period of time.
The wife’s jewelry was hers. Any jewelry given to the wife was her sole property. If the husband died the
wife kept all of her jewelry EXCEPT for the ten pieces of silver. If the husband died the ten pieces of
silver would have to be returned to the husband’s family.
If the wife lost one or more of the pieces of silver it would bring shame on the husband’s family. These
pieces of silver were so important to the husband and his family that if the bride lost one the husband
would banish the wife from the house. He would, at that point, have nothing more to do with her
because of the disgrace she had brought on him and his family.
Now you can see why this woman, even in the dark, when discovering the piece of silver is missing,
doesn’t wait until daylight, but, lights a candle and searches for the lost piece of silver. Jesus doesn’t give
a time limit for the woman, but, he does say how she searched. She searched diligently! Diligently can,
also, be translated “carefully.” She didn’t just search, but, she did it carefully. If she went to her bed she
didn’t just pull the blanket and sheets off she took the blanket off and inspected every inch of the
blanket on both sides. Then she did the same with the top sheet and then the bottom sheet and then
she turned the pillow cases inside out and checked the corners. She inspected the corners of the pillow
cases and then the pillows themselves to make sure there were no holes or little tears in the pillow thatthe coin could have fallen into. If there was, she would take the pillow apart to make sure the coin
wasn’t in the pillow. This same diligence, this same carefulness she would do with each piece of clothing,
each piece of furniture, each closet, cupboard, box and bag in the house until she found it.
Now we see why she would call in her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her. How relieved she must
have been to have found the lost coin!
So, one of the lessons from this is how willing are you to do what it takes for success? If you are desiring
the accurate knowledge of God and His Word what lengths would you go to obtain that knowledge?
How far are you willing to go to get God’s deliverance in your life?
Matthew 5:6 (KJV)
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.
Philippians 4:19 (KJV)
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Just like the lost silver coin, God is there and God’s deliverance is there all you have to do is look
carefully.
The second lesson is stated in verse ten.
Luke 15:10 (KJV)
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that
repenteth.
There are three parables in Luke chapter 15 and all three relate to the same thing. Jesus Christ was
talking to the scribes and Pharisees that were looking down their nose at Jesus. Men that should have
been helping the masses. Men who were in leadership positions in the Jews’ religion and, yet, men who
used their position for gain and status not caring for the people.
So, Jesus is eating with publicans (tax collectors, despised in those days) and sinners and the scribes and
Pharisees are standing around watching Jesus eating with these people. Let me interject here. In biblical
time even in some parts of the world today unless you are close friend or family the host will not eat
with you. He will serve you he will make sure you have everything you need, but, by eating with you you
would be sharing the salt covenant which means he would protect you, with his life if necessary. Jesus is
eating with sinners and he tells the scribes and Pharisees three parables.
A man had a hundred sheep and lost one and diligently searched until he found it, a woman lost the
most precious possession and found it and a father lost his son who came back to him. The man the
woman and the father called their family and friends to come and rejoice with them.Each parable is about the most precious thing of the individual’s heart and how these people are
examples of how much God loves us and how He joys and rejoices when one sinner turns God. We are
the most precious possession of God when we do Romans 10:9,10.
We either have never been taught or else we lose sight of how important we are to God, not as a group,
not as a collective, but, as an individual. The angels rejoice and God rejoices when we choose to walk
with and for God.