Ever lost the keys to your car? Of course you have, who hasn’t? How about losing your keys when you have an urgent appointment with a doctor, or a lawyer, perhaps you are running late for school or work. How important does finding your keys become? Very! Remember that wonderful feeling when you found “the keys” and you were so excited, and your excitement spills over to the kids and the family, telling everyone to hurry.

Funny how such a wonderful feeling can so quickly turn into, I can’t wait to get home, or I hate work, or “God, why can’t I just relax!” More importantly, if you really consider it, how important are your keys? In the grand scheme of things, they are of little importance. Perhaps you may not think so, after all, the car is an important vessel that gets you from one place to another. What about after you found your keys and you are hurrying to your destination and you have an accident with your kids in the car? How important are you keys now, for that matter, how important is the car?

In truth, that is one of the more difficult things for us to learn, priorities. We are faced with so many responsibilities and struggles in life that we just tend to sometimes put our priorities in all the wrong places. These parables of Jesus touch our hearts at its very core, teaching us a principle about God, about Jesus, and about ourselves. The parables really touch home don’t they? We know that feeling when we find something that is precious to us. So does Jesus and so does God. You are the lost sheep, and you are the lost coin. You’re the lost 0.00 bill, the lost keys, and the lost child. What joy there is in heaven when you repent?

Remember what he says to the Pharisees though in Luke 16:15, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Let’s try to remember what is really important. You are the lost sinner, Jesus found you and forgave you, now it’s your turn to help. Jesus wants you to find what is precious to him, “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30).