Luke 19:10 – ‘that which was lost’

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. – Luke 19:10 (KJV)

It’s very easy for those of us who read the Bible regularly to miss individual verses that are extremely profound. Luke 19:10 is a perfect example of this, saying so much in so few words while mixed into the context of a story that seems very specific on the surface but that is extremely profound and universal.

Yeshua has traveled to Jericho. This is where we meet Zacchaeus, the chief publican (tax collector) who is considered by most to be sinners. When Yeshua calls to him amongst the crowd and declares that he will be abiding in his house that day, the people murmur about it disapprovingly. This is when Yeshua declares why He has come: to seek and to save the lost.

This is where it gets extremely profound. You’ll notice that He is seeking “that which was lost,” not “those who were lost.” It’s an important distinction to understand and a very specific wording that we must explore.

God’s people lost their way but there’s more to it than that. God divorced His people and based upon His laws once someone is divorced they cannot remarry until one has died. When Yeshua came to this world, He was seeking the lost sheep, the creation that was once married to the Creator before they committed adultery with other gods. This is why it’s important to understand that He did not seek the gentiles during his first coming. They would come later, being grafted in after His resurrection.

Once we understand that context, we can see what He was seeking and it quickly becomes clear that there was only one way He could save without breaking His own laws. He had to die. This allowed the Covenant to be renewed and opened the door for the rest of the world to gain the Salvation that only He could bring.

It’s a tiny verse that’s positioned perfectly right in between His actions in Jericho and His parable of the ten pounds for the servants. Within the mystery of God we can can be shown the biggest truths once hidden from us in plain sight. As always, reading the Bible constantly is a “best practice” in life.

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