We are all Lazarus at the gate - in need of help which God alone can give. As God in Christ has reached out to us with compassion and mercy, so God now calls us to reach out to others with compassion and mercy.
The shepherd in search of the one missing and the woman in search of her one missing coin point us to Jesus who is on a mission to seek and to save that which is lost.
Jesus forewarns hearers that the time of salvation is now. The day is coming when the opportunity to receive his gift of salvation and enter into his kingdom will end. Today is the day of salvation!