Jesus gave a second picture to make the same point unmistakable. The first story came from the field, with a man and a hundred sheep; this one comes from the home, with a woman and ten coins. One lost coin out of ten is a large share, and anyone who had lost money would search until it turned up. Barnes says the design of the story that follows, the lost son, was "simply to justify his conduct in receiving sinners," the same complaint all three stories answer (Luke 15:2). If people search this hard for a coin, it should be no surprise that Jesus seeks lost people.

No one replies. Jesus completes the story: "when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost" (Luke 15:9). He then gives the meaning: "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10). He goes on to tell of a lost son (Luke 15:11-32).

The "pieces of silver" were drachmas. Thayer describes the drachma as "a silver coin of (nearly) the same weight as the Roman denarius." The word appears in the New Testament only in Luke 15:8-9. Gill calls it "the fourth part of a shekel."

The woman lights a "candle" (the ESV says "lamp") and sweeps the house. Both details show how hard she works to find one small coin.

Like the shepherd, the woman takes action: she lights, sweeps, and seeks "diligently till she find it" (Luke 15:8). Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary says, "This represents the various means and methods God makes use of to bring lost souls home to himself, and the Saviour's joy on their return to him." Gill reads the details closely: by the woman "is meant Christ," and "by this candle is meant, the Gospel itself."

The story ends where the first did, in shared joy (Luke 15:9-10). Jesus says this joy is "in the presence of the angels of God." The Pharisees grumbled over sinners coming near; heaven rejoices over sinners coming home.