A Lost Sheep

 

LUKE 15:4

“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine… and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” 

When first reading this years ago, I didn't understand  leaving 99 sheep for one? It sounded like an  irresponsible thing to do. But as I've studied over the years, verses have become more clear.  Why leave ninety-nine sheep for one? It feels inefficient. But picture it in everyday terms. If a mother has three children and one wanders into danger, she doesn’t say, “Well, I still have two.” Love doesn’t calculate percentages. The value of the one isn’t reduced because there are many. The shepherd isn’t neglecting the ninety-nine; he is revealing his heart. The sheep isn’t rescued because it was the smartest, strongest, or most deserving, It was rescued because it was His.

Now think about the sheep. Sheep don’t usually rebel dramatically; they drift. They nibble a little farther, get distracted, look up , and suddenly they don’t recognize where they are. This is what happened to me. I became too distracted by Face Book, spending too many hours distracted by updates, posts, showing off my beloved dogs, visiting pages, commenting, etc.

That’s how most people wander. Not with fists raised at God, but slowly, subtly, preoccupied. And when a sheep is lost, it doesn’t find its way back by strategy. It needs to be found. The shepherd goes searching. That tells you something powerful: God’s pursuit is not passive. He doesn’t just stand at the gate hoping you’ll figure it out. He moves toward the lost.

And here’s the part that undoes people: when he finds the lost or wandering sheep, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. Not scolding. Not lecturing. Carrying. The shepherd absorbs the weight of the wandering sheep. That’s grace. The ninety-nine represent those who already know they’re safe with him. But heaven celebrates over one who is restored. The story isn’t about math — it’s about mercy. And the heartbeat behind it is this: no one is too small, too lost, or too far for Him to go after. I know. He came for me!

Until He Comes-

-Pat Phillips-