As the owners’ feared that Molly may have died, the search began quickly.  Within only two hours, Molly was located.  She was walking in a field in Tissington, Derbyshire, blindly searching for her owners.  Drone to Home contacted Molly’s owners about her whereabouts.  The reunion of Molly and one of her owners was captured on video.  The joy of Molly’s owner was matched by the joyful wagging tail of Molly. *

Molly’s state of being lost pictures what happens to each and every person in the world.  We become “blinded” by the lure of sin and can’t find our way “home” to our Master (God).

Jesus, the Son of God, told a story (a parable) about a son who left his father’s home because he wanted to live a life in sin (see Luke 15:11-24).  He wasted his father’s inheritance while living recklessly.  He ended up working in a pig pen and was so hungry that the pig’s food looked appetizing to him.

Then the son recognized that his father’s servants had it better than he did.  He determined to go back home and beg his father to take him back as a servant.

Here is how Jesus tells about the father’s response to his son: “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry” (Luke 15:20-24).

Jesus told this story (and two others) to illustrate this truth: “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).

In Jesus’ story, the father is God and we are represented by the “prodigal son.”

Despite the fact that we were lost in sin due to our self-inflicted blindness, God sent His Son to rescue us and, if we are willing, to reconcile us to Himself.  In order to save us, Jesus gave His life on the cross to pay the price for our redemption (Ephesians 1:7).

We are lost in sin and cannot find our way home.  But God sent Jesus to rescue us – and He will if we will only surrender our lives to Him in trusting obedience.

-- David A. Sargent