The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8–10)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

From his Commentary on Luke (Homily 106, on Luke 15:1–10), trans. R. Payne Smith, 1859. Public domain.

On the drachma stamped with the royal likeness, the image of God we bear:

And by this second parable, in which that which was lost is compared to a drachma, and that again as one out of ten, that is of a perfect number, and of a sum complete in the reckoning;—for the number ten also is perfect, being the close of the series from the unit upwards;—it is clearly shown, that we are in the royal likeness and image, even that of God over all. For the drachma is, I suppose, the denarius, on which is stamped the royal likeness.

On our being found by Christ and changed back into His image:

That we then who had fallen, and, so to speak, been lost, have been found by Christ, and transformed by holiness and righteousness into His image, how can any one doubt, when the blessed Paul has thus written, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as of the Lord the Spirit."

On the lighting of the lamp, which is the Wisdom of the Father shining out as the Son:

A search then was made for that which had fallen, for which purpose the woman lighted a lamp. For we were found, as I said, by the wisdom of God the Father, Which is the Son, when the divine and intellectual light shone upon us, and the sun arose, and "the day star ascended, and the day dawned," according to the Scripture.

On the light by which the lost is saved, and the joy of the powers above:

By the light therefore that which was lost is saved, and there was joy thereby to the powers above. For they rejoice even in one sinner that repents, as He has taught us Who knows all things.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the second parable, in which man is the silver stamped with the royal image:

But now is added a second parable, in which the race of man is compared to a piece of silver which was lost, by which he shows that we were made according to the royal likeness and image, that is to say, of the most high God.

On the coin that bears the impress of the King:

For the piece of silver is a coin having the impress of the king's image.

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St. Gregory Nazianzen (c. 329–390)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the heavenly powers, the ministers of God's dispensation, made partakers of His joy:

But the piece of silver being found, He makes the heavenly powers partakers of the joy whom He made the ministers of His dispensation.

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St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the one coin without which all the other virtues profit nothing:

This I suppose is what our Lord sets before us in the search after the lost piece of silver, that no advantage attaches to us from the external virtues which He calls pieces of silver, although all of them be ours, as long as that one is lacking to the widowed soul, by which in truth it obtains the brightness of the Divine image.

On the candle of the divine word, and the royal image hid under the dirt of the flesh:

Wherefore He first bids us light a candle, that is to say, the divine word which brings hidden things to light, or perhaps the torch of repentance. But in his own house, that is, in himself and his own conscience, must a man seer; for the lost piece of silver, that is, the royal image, which is not entirely defaced, but is hid under the dirt, which signifies its corruption of the flesh, and this being diligently wiped away, that is, washed out by a well-spent life, that which was sought for shines forth.

On calling the companion virtues to share the joy:

Therefore ought she who has found it to rejoice, and to call to partake of her joy the neighbors, (that is, the companion virtues,) reason, desire, and anger, and whatever powers are observed round the soul, which she teaches to rejoice in the Lord.

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Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1050–1107)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the friends and neighbours of God, the ranks of the heavenly powers:

Either they are friends as performing His will, but neighbors as being spiritual; or perhaps His friends are all the heavenly powers, but His neighbors those that come near to Him, as Thrones, Cherubims, and Seraphims.

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St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

From his Homilies on the Gospels (Homily 34), as preserved in the Catena Aurea (Newman trans., 1841). Public domain.

On the woman who is God, and the ten coins as the nine orders of angels and man the tenth:

He who is signified by the shepherd, is also by the woman. For it is God Himself, God and the wisdom of God, but the Lord has formed the nature of angels and men to know Him, and has created them after His likeness. The woman then had ten pieces of silver, because there are nine orders of angels, but that the number of the elect might be filled up, man the tenth was created.

On the image stamped on the coin, lost when man departed from God's likeness:

And because there is an image impressed on the piece of silver, the woman lost the piece of silver when man (who was created after the image of God) by sinning departed from the likeness of his Creator.

On the lighting of the candle, the Wisdom of God shining out in human flesh:

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.

On the disturbed house, and the conscience cleansed by holy fear:

But the candle being lit, it follows, And disturbs the house. Because verily no sooner had his Divinity shone forth through the flesh, than all our consciences were appalled ... because the corrupt mind if it be not first overthrown through fear, is not cleansed from its habitual faults.

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Blessed Augustine (354–430)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the nine coins as those who, trusting in themselves, prefer themselves to repentant sinners:

Or by the nine pieces of silver, as by the ninety and nine sheep, He represents those who trusting in themselves, prefer themselves to sinners returning to salvation. For there is one wanting to nine to make it ten, and to ninety-nine to make it a hundred. To that One He ordains all who are reconciled by repentance.