the "lost" belong to Him, too

The parables of Jesus are a wonder to me, like a kaleidoscope, I see something different nearly every time I read them. This week I have been thinking about the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son in Luke 15.
I realized, for the first time ever, that each parable begins talking about ownership;

"If any of you has 100 sheep..."(v.4)
"What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins..." (v. 8)
"Once a man had two sons..." (v.11).

Why would Jesus talk about what a person owns? Property. Money. Relationship.
Why would Jesus tell these parables as a response to the Pharisees' and Sadducee's' grumbling; their judgement against who He ate with?

The Pharisees and Sadducees had much. They understood a person's feelings toward what they owned. Jesus spoke to them of owning much property (100 sheep). He spoke to them of owning some money (10 coins). And He spoke to them about having cherished sons.

In the parables each of the main characters losses a portion of their welth; the shepherd looses 1%, the woman 10%, the man 50%. Jesus reminded his accusers that if a person cares enough to go out and look for that which has been lost, whether it is little or much, then they will rejoice when they have found it because it BELONGED to them.

Jesus is telling us that He came because those who belonged to HIM are lost. He ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritians, the unclean...because they belonged to Him.

It is not only those of us who "have it all together"or "do it all right" who belong to God, but also those of us who mess up, who "go down the wrong path" and who are "one of those". The lost belong to Him, too.

How does God meet our NEED?

Since I wrote last this is what has come up, or rather laid on my heart...

NEED!

There is so much of it in the world right now. How does God do it? How does God see, hear, feel all of the world's need? Cry over it, wrap his arms around it? How does God take it into himself, bear it all, make it all work out for good?

loneliness and depression, cancer, alcoholism, divorce, families separated by ecconomic downturn, hunger, brokeness, joblessnes, homelessness,

Each one of these horrors has stepped into my life just over the past couple of weeks, not in my own life, but in the lives of people close to me, people I love. Just last night one of our long time friends who is in desperate need asked me, "Why is it like this? Is God testing our faith?"

I don't know why this is happening, but I do know that every need is known by God. I do know that He never leaves us, but rather remains with us (closer than our own skins) through every trial. In this world where the lonely live, God places friends. Where the depressed suffer, God places helpers. Where the sick, broken, hungry and homeless cry out God places his people to be his hands and feet.

Scripture tells us that from the very beginning God knew of our need. God provided a place for us, food for us, relationship in community for us. When human kind became separated from the intimate relationship of love and trust God intended from the beginning, God came in Person through Jesus. When Jesus returned to the Father, the Spirit of God came to dwell among us.

So I ask again, How does God do it? How does God see, hear, feel all of the world's need? Cry over it, wrap his arms around it? How does God take it into himself, bear it all and make it all work out for good?

By being present NOT far off, NOT distant. God's Spirit lives in God's church, in every one of God's children, in every act of love and grace, in every act of kindness and healing word.

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLy-B9LuqMo