Ever lost something so important that finding it again made you throw a huge party? Today we hear of two parables in Luke 15:1-10 that demonstrate how persistently God comes looking for his lost and how much heaven rejoices when they are found. The wandering sheep that leaves the 99. The coin that can’t be located amongst the darkness and dirt. These parables can comfort on us on many levels including when we personally stray, when we are are concerned about those we love who have strayed, and when we are concerned with the world at large as it strays. When it all seems hopeless, God’s word in these parables helps us to remember that God is persistent in going after the lost. And when he finds them, he lavishes his love on them, for ‘… there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents’ (Luke 15:10).