Risky business this Messiah stuff. Turns out redeeming humankind, making salvation available to us does not result in overnight popularity. Who’d have guessed that God’s saving actions would be met with criticism and resistance? Who’d have guessed that the Redeemer, the Chosen One sent to effect salvation would have to endure not only suffering and death on the cross, but also a nit-picking running commentary on where he went and with whom. "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them," [they grumbled]. It’s a wonder Jesus didn’t just say, "Ah, to heck with it," and get a real job.

Yet high though our God is, all powerful and most high, our God is not above stooping down and getting his hands dirty. God’s dignity is so great that he can spare some, he can put it off and roll up his sleeves when his people, his creatures wander off or turn up missing. God acts in ways great and small, and he endures mortal injury and petty potshot alike.

Now, we could respond to God’s humility by saying, "poor God, he shouldn’t have to do all that." But Jesus’ parables in this morning’s Gospel reading illustrate that although he works hard, doing whatever needs doing to preserve the faithful, our recovery, our restoration to him is not only worth his effort, it is something in which he rejoices.

Now, if this is how God lives, how God behaves, how might we enter into enter into this dimension of God’s life? How might we express or exercise our Communion with him in our lives in this regard?

What have you lost this week? What treasure has gone missing? You might have lost someone you love. Your sense of security and wellbeing might have disappeared. Perhaps peace, maybe peace, maybe that is what you feel you’ve lost.

Do you feel that you are missing something today that you possessed last week? My brothers and sisters, miss it. Whatever it is miss it. Be anxious about where it is, and use that anxiety to prompt you to roll up your sleeves and search and search. Let Jesus Christ be the light you use to look for that lost treasure. Search and search and don’t stop looking until you find it. Know that it is not gone for good, that it’s out there, that you can be whole again. And joyfully anticipate the day when you find that lost treasure, and let that joyful anticipation buoy you up when your search seems hopeless. For as it is with God, so it is with his faithful people: the question isn’t a matter of if we’ll ever find that treasure again, but when.

Amen.