Sri Lankan edition MK 3; Being the broom. Luke 15:8-10
When we look at the scriptures there is a certain amount of danger in putting a label on something that can take our focus away from other important things.
In the following parable what is important, what are the important features of this little story Jesus tells?
The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 13:8-10)
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Jesus tells us this little parable about lost people being found; in it he compares those lost people to a silver coin, a lost silver coin.
Now in our day and age with rampant inflation a silver coin is for most of us not a big deal, I’m sure we would all prefer notes. Back in the day this coin a ‘denarius’ was an average days wage, I just happen to have a denarius coin that was minted just before Jesus’ birth, or so the person who sold it to me said and this is it. A small silver coin. This is the type of coin referred to in Jesus parable.
For a woman it may have had a more significant use than as just spending money, in the Society and culture of Jesus time it could have been part of her wedding head-dress of ten coins…a special grouping of coins that would have taken her years to collect. Comparing its loss with losing something today; I would say it would be like a lady losing a stone out of her engagement ring, or maybe a special item of jewellery. For the men here think about losing your keys, when you are in a rush to get out the door.
So as Jesus tells his parable, we get this picture of a woman having lost something of real value. Jesus is comparing this woman to God and the coin to the lost sinner. A fairly brave thing to do back in the day, comparing God to a woman.
Today I want to speak about a tool that the woman used to find the coin; you may have missed the word that referred to this tool when I read the parable. What was the tool, the lamp? We are the light of the world, just as we are the salt of the Earth, I’m sure we all like the idea of bringing light into a dark world. Who likes to be the light, brightening the surroundings? However the lamp is not the tool can anyone tell me what the tool is that the woman is using to find the lost coin. Jesus said “doesn’t she sweep the house until she finds it.” She uses a broom the really important tool, in this really important passage is the broom, the humble broom.
Now you might be thinking what about the broom? Well as you can tell from the stunning example of broominess I hold in my hand, that there are a couple of fairly important features to any broom the head and the handle.
Back to those features in a few minutes. What was this whole “sweep the house” thing about, it’s about looking for the coin? Well the house was dark and the lamp was a tiny oil filled lamp that put out about as much light as a candle, no flash LED lamps back in those days or even a good torch. The woman she was using her vision and her hearing to find this valuable possession, ladies keep thinking valuable stone, men; vehicle keys, her valuable denarius coin, worth a whole days pay. The house was still darkish. The broom was used so that the lady could hear the coin as she swept, so looking as she swept, for a glint of light, listening for the sound of broom brushing the coin.
The head of the broom, bristles used for sweeping, the handle of the broom in the hands of the woman knowing where to sweep, responding to the move of her wrist and arm looking for what is lost, here she was sweeping the whole house. If she swept the coin the coin had to respond to the broom, it had to move it had to make a sound. The broom was the tool of discovery, in the ladies hands it would find the coin, if the coin was there to be found.
Today I want to ask the question. In our relationship with God, in your relationship with God, are we willing, are you willing to respond to the move of his arm. Maybe you’re new to the idea of being something of value to God, or lost people being of value to God, like a new broom that is still waiting to be brought from the store. A broom that has never been engaged in its role, having never made a decision for him, maybe you are resting like a broom, a shiny new broom tucked away somewhere maybe hiding behind the door, in a cupboard, maybe a little concerned that God might get you to sweep in places that are uncomfortable, preferring just to be waiting, not sweeping. May be you are sweeping for the lost in the places he calls you to go? The thing is that a broom that is not used for sweeping is just a funny looking stick. God seeks after the lost, we can ask ourselves are we doing our part in the sweep for their redemption, am I doing my best to be used in God’s hands to help save the lost from their sins, perhaps from drunkenness, ignorance, crime, a belief that does not lead to the One True God, from Hell?
The other thing with a broom is that it is also used to maintain a house, a standard. As Christians we are to show how things can be in God’s kingdom as we live our lives under the guidance of his hands. Maybe we will be worn just as the bristles of the broom are; a little damaged but still able to sweep, maybe eventually well-worn for his kingdoms sake. Of these two brooms, the new one and the well-worn one, answer this, which has achieved more, which would be able to tell the best work stories? Take a look around this Corps and see the souls that have achieved great things for the kingdom, there’s a few bristles missing, a bit of wear and tear.
Last Sunday night, Colonel Marieke challenged us with a passage Jesus read out in the synagogue of his home town. He said this to those who were listening (Luke 4 :18-21)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”[a] Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Notice that Jesus didn’t say The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, it’ all about me I’m the king of the world! Because he came to serve.
To me Jesus sounds very much like a broom in God’s hands filled with The Holy Spirit sweeping for those in need.
1) The interesting thing with the parable about the broom is that when the coin is found there is a great celebration which Jesus compares to a celebration in heaven when a sinner repents. God celebrates when the lost are found, the heavenly creatures celebrate. The point is; that as we allow ourselves to be held in God’s hands and too respond to his Holy Spirit moving in the ways he wants us to go we are part of his work bringing the lost into his kingdom. There is celebrating, I don’t know about you but the idea of being partly responsible for a party in heaven is far more exciting to me than being part of any party here on earth. The passage Jesus read out in the synagogue that Colonel Marieke reminded us of last week was about Jesus personal mission to the poor, oppressed, prisoners, the blind – declaring the year of The Lord’s favour. This is also as Christians our mission. This takes some effort to do this, as human beings we want it comfortable, clean, and peaceful, but this is not what we are called to, this is not what develops Christ like character.
2) But back to the broom. I suggest that for any of us to be useful and used for this work of God, God will want to take hold of a clean handle, I’d go as far as to say a holy handle that is willing to be used for his kingdoms sake. Now don’t get me wrong this is not about works this is about the relationship between the broom and The Sweeper. As we respond to God, and you may be thinking I am still not holy, I still struggle with this or that, how can God use me, I am young, I am old, I am at times out of control, I can’t speak in public. The thing is that all Christians are sinners saved by the grace of God. None of us was born saved. None of us can wait for perfection before we act or we never will.
The broom, the Christian is to have their relationship right with God to be used the most effectively in his hands; this requires a change in life direction, that is what repentance is. This starts with a decision to change to head in a new direction, allowing God to take over and guide the direction of our lives just as the sweeper directs the broom, God will direct our lives and as we respond to that directing, great things can happen in our lives, can and will happen for his kingdom, there will be much celebrating in heaven. I also know that someone here today is thinking, I need to respond to allow God to direct my life. This is not a prophetic thought I am having just now, this is
something I know is common to mankind, just as there are many people in society who struggle, their souls groaning for a person to sweep by them and tell them about the grace of God, for the spirit of Christ to enter their life and journey with them, to know they are saved.
Are you willing to play your part, responding to the Spirit of God, because as you do, you also can take part in bringing forth celebrations in the presence of angels in Glory!
Will you be the broom!
Alter call.
