“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?” – Luke 15:8
Hunting for treasure can be an exciting thing. Hunting for treasure in the Caribbean is exhilarating. For centuries, people have looked for buried treasure that pirates have left behind. Divers have looked for sunken ships that were thought to be lost to the ocean depths. Hunting for treasure takes time and effort and most often leaves a person empty handed. However, modern technology and a passion to find lost treasure has offered modern treasure hunters the possibilities of reclaiming what was thought to be lost to legend and time.
Recently, a lost treasure was located. A sunken Spanish ship from 1656 left treasure at the bottom of the ocean in the Bahamas. While the Nuestra Senora de las Maravillas was heading back home to Spain, filled with priceless treasures, the ship began to sink and left a miles long trail of jewels, coins, gold, and silver, on the floor of the ocean. Over time, the sandy ocean bottom covered the lost treasure. And that is where modern technology enters the picture. Carl Allen is an explorer. Along with his team at Allen Exploration, they have recently located the site of the shipwreck. Using ground penetrating radar and other new technologies, the team was able to locate several initial coins.
Allen said, “When I pulled up the first valuable item, I lost my breath. I had been thinking about this moment my whole life.” As the days and weeks went by, the team uncovered more and more items. They recovered sunken treasure and the lost history of that ship. They are still working to bring more and more treasure to the surface.
Jesus understood how passionate we can be about seeking lost treasure. One lost coin can cause us to search diligently until it is found. That is why he shared the parable of the lost coin. He wanted to teach his disciples how important it is for God to connect with us. Even when we wander away and it feels like all hope is lost, God sweeps every corner, goes to the deepest depth, and pours out grace abundantly to draw us back to Him. We may love the search for buried treasure, but God’s love is greater, and God’s love constantly seeks to be in our presence.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
