Our 68th Word is Lost

The simple definition of lost is to be in the wrong place or in a perilous state or a ruined condition.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

---

The same week your parents lost a big chunk of their retirement money in a bad investment, a coworker lost everything in a fire. Last month, your teenager lost track of time and consequently lost her job. Last year, your brother temporarily lost his way with the result that he lost his marriage. A dear friend lost a brave battle with cancer, meaning you lost part of your heart.

Unless we’re talking about losing unwanted pounds, there aren’t many four letter words as foul as “lost”.

Six times in the gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks of lost things. And He doesn’t just man they’ve been misplaced. The word conveys the idea of something valuable that isn’t where or what it was meant to be. Take the three well-known parables Jesus told in Luke 15. The lost sheep is somewhere “out there” wandering in danger of being devoured. The lost coin is of no use to its owner. It’s wasted. The lost son who hightailed it to a far country to engage in riotous living is headed for destruction. That’s not all: the other, older son who stayed home is equally lost, lost in bitterness and envy. He’s also lost the capacity to feel compassion.

To be lost, in the biblical sense, is to be trapped in a kind of “living death.” You no longer know why you’re here, what you’re doing, or where you’re going. You’re not what you were meant to be. You certainly aren’t what you could be.

The good news Jesus announces is that He is the seeker and the Savior of lost causes. He’s the shepherd who searches high and low for the missing sheep. He’s the intense woman who turns her house upside down in search of the precious coin. He’s the father who stands at the end of the driveway, scanning the horizon for the foolish boy. And when the old man spots him far off, red faced, hands jammed in his pockets, he takes off running. What follows is the mother of all bear hugs. Tears of joy. The fattened calf. A party for the ages.

There’s “Lost” (w3ith a capital L), and then there’s “lost”. The former is the ultimate kind of ruin, being separated from God and missing the life He longs to give you. The latter is a temporary condition. You look up to see you’ve strayed. You’re off the path and the weeds. How did I end up here?

Whatever form of lostness you’re experiencing, whether it’s your very soul that’s lost, or your job or your joy, Jesus is the one you need. And the good news is you don’t have to go off on a long search for Him. If you call Him, He’ll come right to where you are. He’ll find you!

Questions to Ponder

1. Can you describe spiritual lostness?
2. What’s the difference between being lost and not knowing it, and being lost and feeling it deeply?