I love the way that Jesus is portrayed in the New Testament. He's always giving some new slant on who He is. For instance, in Luke 15, Jesus says this:
Jesus said, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety‑nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety‑nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
I love that portion of Scripture because it shows the shepherd in that parable as one happy man! Yes, he loved the ninety‑nine, but his heart was with the one lost sheep. After searching high and low, he finally found the sheep, hoisted it up on his shoulders, and carried it home. He called his friends and neighbors so they could rejoice with him. The shepherd had good reason to celebrate. The lost had been found. What a picture of God! Most people can understand a God who forgives sinners who crawl to Him and beg for mercy. People can more easily imagine a gruff God who makes sinners grovel in the dirt and plead for forgiveness. A God like that, people can relate to, right?
But a God who actually runs to search for sinners in order to forgive them? A God who seeks out rebels in order to save them? A God who would lay down His life for His enemies? Little wonder we stand amazed at the love of Jesus! Little wonder we have a hard time understanding and relating to a God like that. We can't reduce Him to our logic. He doesn't fit the standard "God" mold.
Why the parable of the lost sheep goes against the mold! After all, leaving ninety‑nine sheep out in an open field is hardly the way to run a successful sheep ranching business. The most likely result of running off to find one lost sheep would be ninety‑nine more that get lost.
But that's the point. Our great God enjoys throwing human reasoning to the wind. He breaks the mold. He won't permit us to relate to Him with our logic.
That our Good Shepherd leaves His large flock so He will not lose one sinner, shows the abundance of His care. All I can say is, keep praying for that loved one of yours who doesn't know Christ. God's on your side with those prayers. That He would carry the lost one on His shoulders, once he was found, shows the abundance of His tenderness. This parable shows us how much God cares for the lost one you love. So, keep praying and remember that the Shepherd is out there seeking.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
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