You!
In two different books of the Bible, Jesus shares a parable known as, “The Parable of Sheep.” One is in the book of Matthew (ch. 18, verses 10-14) and the second is in the book of Luke (ch. 15, verses 1-7).
And even though the story is essentially the same, there are some differences between the two with major implications that we don’t want to miss.
First, in Matthew, Jesus is brought into a conversation by His disciples. They are having a conversation, probably full of banter like the type we’d hear at a barbershop or hair salon conversation. The entire discussion is centered around this question: who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
Imagine Jesus looking at them the way a parent would look at their children goofing around while being brought in to play along and pick sides. Placing a child in front of everyone, Jesus responds:
Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish. (NLT)
The point: Jesus is saying each and every one of us is equally important in the kingdom of God. No one has more favor. No one gets special treatment. No one is shown more care. He also points to the fact that God is a Father who counts His kids (us). Yes, He rejoices in the safety of His children. But He also aches at the thought of any one of His children missing. So, He goes on a rescue mission to find and return them to His place of safety and rest. His love is reckless and willing to go into the darkest of valleys, climb the highest of mountains, cross the widest of valleys, and fight the most dangerous threats, all in search of His one child!
Second, in Luke, Jesus is sharing the parable with a larger crowd. And this time, there are people around who wouldn’t normally associate with each other — the Pharisees/scribes and tax collectors/sinners. Noticing how undesirable it was to be associated with sinners, the Pharisees and scribes judgingly mumbles under their breath, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
Jesus hears this, sees their hearts and starts stepping on necks, saying:
"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." (NKJV)
The point: He is illustrating that God's heart is big enough for the righteous and morally upright who know God and walk the straight path.. AND for those of us whose paths are a bit more crooked.. more jagged.. those who stumble and even choose to wander away from God.. those who are the most vulnerable, defenseless, discouraged, depressed, faithless, hopeless, ashamed, defeated, addicted, paralyzed, blind, deaf, stuck..
Even more, a condition doesn’t need to be a lifestyle in order for God to care and commit this level of devotion to us. He delights in every detail of our lives and watches over us with the same level of attentiveness. He is seeing EVERYTHING and caring for us like the shepherd does His sheep, willing to put everything on the line just to intimately be with us wherever and whenever we find ourselves going in a different direction than the one that leads to the best of what He desires for us.
God cares about all of us equally and will stop everything to find us and care for us. We serve a Good Shepherd whose heart is for us to be found, rescued, and renewed. To that end, the point of these posts is to be a conduit for Jesus to reach His sheep, whether lost or found, during a low or a high. You never know how God is orchestrating the timing of someone’s life. But we do what we can to give as many opportunities for someone to be met by the Holy Spirit and return to the Father.
And on the week of GGM turning 2 months, I pray this does something for someone’s spirit in a way that is needed. I also pray someone gets a new lens whenever they see the logo, receive a notification, or read/listen to a post. Let this be a seed. A seed that you keep with you, so whenever we share virtual space, you are reminded that God got you, and you are affirmed in your journey to get closer to Him.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
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