Proper 19
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Year C

The other day one of our parishioners came by to borrow a key from the office for work. She was going to do organizing in the shed out back.  She got busy helping with a few other things inside and before long, she’d been at the church for over an hour.  When she was about to leave, she realized the borrowed key was nowhere to be found and so the search began.  She retraced her steps – no key.  Others started to help – no key.  All over the property she looked, high and low she looked – no key.

Panic set in for a bit but since she hadn’t left the property it had to be here somewhere. Finally, the key was found!  It had slid underneath a book in the parish hall and only a portion of the key was visible.  But it was found!  Joy abounded as praises went up for the found key.  Such a small thing but such great relief.

I can only imagine that the level of happiness of a found key is an image of the joy reflected in Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin.  Neither the sheep nor the coin knew they were lost. For the shepherd and the woman those were things that counted and mattered.

So it is with our Lord.  You matter! You count!  Jesus is delighted when one who is lost is found and turns to Him.  “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (v10)

God throws a party when the lost are found.  Is God saying today, “It’s party time!”?