Bible Readings and Devotion for October 30 and 31, 2020
Here are the references for the readings. Please look these up in your print Bible, your smartphone app Bible, or your online Bible:
October 30
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October 31
Devotion for October 30 and 31, 2020
By Pastor David Tinker
Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., have accounts promoting just about anything. These are created by individuals from across the world with varying interests and ideas.
One such type of account on the Instagram platform I have discovered is that of people showing the coins or paper money they have found in various places. For the most part these show coins found on the ground or the floor as the person goes through one’s daily life. An account of particular interest is a joke account made by a college student. He notes that he is trying to get money any way he can, so he has collected coins off the ground. After a period of months, he noted that he had found $11.40. This was clearly not the way to make money to cover college expenses. Thus, the joke aspect of it.
Our reading today from Luke 15 shows Jesus telling the parable of the lost coin. Jesus uses this short parable to give us some insight into God’s love for us. We need some context to help us understand the depth of God’s love which is shown to us in this parable.
In our modern culture we think of coins as a very small amount. In the USA we have coins for 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents, and 1 dollar. Due of inflation, even that $1 coin is somewhat small to us. Even at absolute minimum wage, we would receive about 8 of those $1 coins as pay for one hour. For a full day we would receive 64-100 of these coins for our work. The coin which the woman in the parable seeks to find could seem like a waste of time. Maybe it is just a lost nickel or penny?
In reality, the coin for which she seeks is worth much more than our coins of today. It was the standard, daily wage for a typical worker. A more proper comparison would be to insert the current value into the sentence of the parable: “Or what woman having ten $100 bills, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the $100 bill that I had lost.’” She was seeking something quite valuable.
This parable uses the principal of, “From the lesser to the greater,” to describe God’s attitude and love. The lesser: the woman’s passionate search for the $100 bill which she lost. The greater: God’s and the angels’ great joy upon leading a person out of sin and into life with the Lord. Jesus said, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Each person, including you and including me, is a great treasure to the Lord. Each person is dramatically more valuable to God than we can imagine. On this day, remember this. Remember that you are a beloved treasure to the Lord. Remember this truth, and take time this day to repent and get back on track with the Lord who loves you beyond measure.
Prayer
Gracious and holy God, give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to perceive you, and patience to wait for you. Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you; eyes to behold you; ears to listen for your word; a heart to love you; and a life to proclaim you; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen
Martin Luther Lutheran Church 