Tony Campolo tells the story of a trip that he took to Hawaii. Jet lag kept him awake late into the night, and he went out for a walk on the streets of Honolulu. At two in the morning, he found himself in a doughnut shop. Sitting at the counter, he overheard several prostitutes who were sharing a booth. One of the girls, whose name was Agnes, mentioned that it was her birthday. 

After she had left, Tony turned to the cook and the other prostitutes and said, “Let’s throw a party for Agnes.” The other girls agreed to bring decorations, and the cook said that he would bake a cake. 

That night, they all gathered at the shop and when Agnes walked in, they brought out the cake and began to sing, “Happy Birthday.” Tears streamed down Agnes’ face, and when it came time to cut the cake, she just stood there. Finally she said, “Could I buy another cake and we’ll eat that one? I want to take this one home and show it to my mother.” 

With that, she took the cake and left. In the sudden silence that filled the shop after she left, Tony bowed his head and began to pray, “Lord we thank you for Agnes and for your love for her. You loved her enough to send your Son to die for her on the cross. We thank you for the best present of all—the present of your own Son. Amen.” When he raised his head, he saw that all of the prostitutes had their heads bowed and had been praying with him. 

The cook looked at him and said, “You’re a preacher!” When Tony admitted that he was, the cook asked, “What kind of church do you have?” In a sudden fl ash of insight, Tony replied, “The kind that throws parties for prostitutes and gives invitations to sinners” (Campolo, pp. 3-7). 

 Jesus likes parties. This is pretty obvious in the fifteenth chapter of Luke. Three parables. Three things lost: A lost sheep. A lost coin. A lost son. Each story ends up with a party. Each story has one person looking for friends and neighbors to share in the joy and celebration. This is the thread that connects all three. Look over these three parables. The object of attention is not the sheep or the coin or the son. The focus is on the one searching. Each of them finds what they are looking or waiting for, and they invite people to share in their joy and join in the party. 

Nothing brings God greater joy than when one sinner repents and is safely back in the fold. Lost people matter to God. It matters not why they are lost. Some who are lost are very close to home, even within the confines of the church. They, like the coin, are helpless and can do nothing on their own to help themselves. Others are lost due to their ignorance and waywardness. Like the sheep, they are vulnerable to danger and harm. Searching for them is a much wider adventure. As with the lost son, some are lost because of willful disobedience and sinful living. No matter the condition or the reason, lost people matter to God. 
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