The Parable of the Lost Coin is one of the

parables of Jesus The parables of Jesus are found in the Synoptic Gospels and some of the non-canonical gospels. They form approximately one third of his recorded teachings. Christians place great emphasis on these parables, which they generally regard as the word ...

. It appears in . In it, a woman searches for a lost coin, finds it, and rejoices. It is a member of a trilogy on redemption that

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

tells after the

Pharisees The Pharisees (; he, פְּרוּשִׁים, Pərūšīm) were a Jewish social movement and a school of thought in the Levant during the time of Second Temple Judaism. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Pharisaic beliefs bec ...

and religious leaders accuse Him of welcoming and eating with "sinners."

Richard N. Longenecker Richard N. Longenecker (July 21, 1930 - June 7, 2021) was a prominent New Testament scholar. He held teaching positions at Wheaton College and Graduate School (1954-57; 1960-63); Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (1963-72); Wycliffe College (T ...

,
The Challenge of Jesus' Parables
', Eerdmans, 2000, , p. 201. The other two are the

Parable of the Lost Sheep The Parable of the Lost Sheep is one of the parables of Jesus. It appears in the Gospels of Matthew () and Luke (). It is about a shepherd who leaves his flock of ninety-nine sheep in order to find the one which is lost. It is the first member ...

, and the Parable of the Lost Son or

Prodigal Son The Parable of the Prodigal Son (also known as the parable of the Two Brothers, Lost Son, Loving Father, or of the Forgiving Father) is one of the parables of Jesus Christ in the Bible, appearing in Luke 15:11–32. Jesus shares the parable with ...

Narrative

As recounted in

Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

15, a woman with ten silver coins (Greek ''

drachmae The drachma ( el, δραχμή , ; pl. ''drachmae'' or ''drachmas'') was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history: # An ancient Greek currency unit issued by many Greek city states during a period of ten centuries, fro ...

'') loses one. She then lights an

oil lamp An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...

and sweeps her house until she finds it, rejoicing when she does: Teachings of Jesus 13 of 40

Interpretation

Joel B. Green Joel B. Green (born May 7, 1956) is an American New Testament scholar, theologian, author, Associate Dean of the Center for Advanced Theological Study, and Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, ...

notes that "the woman described is a poor peasant", and the ten silver coins, corresponding to ten days' wages, "likely represent the family savings".

,
The Gospel of Luke
', Eerdmans, 1997, , p. 576. The coins may also have been the woman's dowry, worn as an ornament.

Ben Witherington Ben Witherington III (born December 30, 1951) is an American Wesleyan-Arminian New Testament scholar. Witherington is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, a Wesleyan-Holiness seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, an ...

,
Women in the Ministry of Jesus: A study of Jesus' attitudes to women and their roles as reflected in his earthly life
', Cambridge University Press, 1987, , p. 39.

I. Howard Marshall Ian Howard Marshall (12 January 1934 – 12 December 2015) was a Scotland, Scottish New Testament scholar. He was Professor Emeritus of New Testament Exegesis at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He was formerly the chair of the Tyndale Fell ...

,
The Gospel of Luke: A commentary on the Greek text
', Eerdmans, 1978, , p. 603. Both theories may be true, and either one explains the urgency of the woman's search, and the extent of her joy when the missing coin is found. Green suggests that the invitation to the "friends and neighbors" may reflect a celebratory meal, which recalls the meals Jesus is accused of sharing with "sinners." The woman's diligent activity in searching may symbolise either Jesus' own activity or that of God the Father. The rejoicing of the angels is understood to be rejoicing along with God.

St. Gregory Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...

(Homily 34), explains the parable (reading swept as overturned), writing: “He who is signified by the shepherd, is signified also by the woman. For it is God Himself—God and the wisdom of God. And because there is an image impressed on the piece, the woman lost the piece of silver when man, who was created after the image of God, by sinning fell away from the likeness of his Creator. The woman lighted a candle, because the wisdom of God appeared in man. For the candle is a light in an earthen vessel, but the light in an earthen vessel is the Godhead in the flesh, and when the candle was lit she overturned (evertit) the house. Because as soon as His divinity shone forth through the flesh, all our consciences were appalled.... Because the corrupt mind, if it be not first overthrown through fear is not cleansed from its habitual faults. But when the house is overturned the piece of silver is found, for when the conscience of man is disturbed, the likeness of the Creator is restored in him."

Depictions

This parable has been depicted by several artists, including

John Everett Millais Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest ...

Jan Luyken Johannes or Jan Luyken (April 16, 1649 – April 5, 1712) was a Dutch poet, illustrator, and engraving, engraver.Domenico Fetti Domenico Fetti (also spelled Feti) (c. 1589 – 1623) was an Italian Baroque painter who had been active mainly in Rome, Mantua and Venice. Biography Born in Rome to a little-known painter, Pietro Fetti, Domenico is said to have apprenticed i ...

, and

James Tissot Jacques Joseph Tissot (; 15 October 1836 – 8 August 1902), anglicized as James Tissot (), was a French painter and illustrator. He was a successful painter of fashionable, modern scenes and society life in Paris before moving to London in 1871 ...

References

External links

Biblical Art on the WWW: The Lost Coin
{{Authority control Lost Coin, Parable of the Gospel of Luke Women in the New Testament

Narrative

Interpretation

Depictions

See also

References

External links