LightGrams
June 11, 2020
Volume 24, Number 20
If you happen to find a ring you didn’t order in an Amazon package, Jasmine Page would love to hear from you. Jasmine works in Wales at an Amazon distribution facility. This past Saturday she noticed that her engagement ring was missing; she suspects it fell into one of the packages she was preparing for shipment. On her Facebook page there is this post: “Devastated that I’ve lost it and just hope it finds its way back!”
Based on two other stories carried by United Press International this week, it could be awhile before Jasmine sees that ring again, if ever. On Tuesday there was a story about a man in Owensboro, Kentucky who was reunited with his school class ring after losing it more than 20 years earlier at a party. On Wednesday a story appeared about a man in Corpus Christi, Texas who recently received a class ring he lost 15 years earlier while working at a grocery store in Collierville, Tennessee.
There are things in common in these three stories. One is that rings can easily be lost. Another is that the rings are sometimes quite precious to the ones who lose them. Class rings more likely have sentimental value, but an engagement ring – that’s a loss of a higher order! We hope Jasmine is reunited with her ring soon.
We read in the Bible about a young man who was reunited with his lost ring. Jesus told about him in Luke 15:11-24 in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In this man’s case the ring wasn’t accidentally lost. All we know is what the father said upon his son’s return home: “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet” (Luke 15:22).
Perhaps the son had thrown down the ring in disgust when he earlier left his father’s home. Maybe he pawned his ring when finances were exhausted and hunger ruled his thinking. Regardless, there was no ring on the prodigal son’s finger when he returned home that day, but the father quickly took care of that.
The ring was more than jewelry; the son didn’t need jewelry at that moment. Commentators suggest that it was a signet ring with the family seal upon it. It would show to anyone that this young man was again part of his father’s family. It would serve as proof of his identity, of his acceptance once again.
Jesus used that parable to teach that prodigals of all times are welcome to come back home. The story elaborates on the most famous verse of the Bible, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
In the Bible “belief” means more than just affirming Jesus as God’s Son. It means getting up and walking back to the Father. In humble obedience we come home to God.
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2020, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version (Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
“LightGrams” is produced by the Central Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every Thursday to all who request it. To subscribe or to receive more information, write to “[email protected]” (our E-mail address), to the U.S. mail address above, or call (423) 282-1571.
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