Shepherd Seeking Lost Sheep...

Scripture

 Luke 15:1-10

¹Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

³So he told them this parable: ⁴"Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' ⁷Just 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."  (NRSV)

Devotion

The parable of the lost sheep is a favorite to many people.  There's something beautiful about the image of a shepherd venturing away from the 99 sheep who are safely gathered together in order to search for the one lonely animal that has strayed into danger.  In this story, Jesus is the shepherd, and sinners are sheep being brought back to right relationship with God through him.  That is why Jesus eats with all the tax collectors and other sinners who were usually avoided by the people of his day.  Those who are already in a good place with God don't need him so much.  It is the lost, the lonely, and the rejected who truly need his help.  Each person he slings one of those lost sheep over his shoulders and carries back to the fold provides a reason to rejoice in God's goodness.

The Reformed tradition teaches that we are all lost sheep.  The power of sin is such that we constantly stray from God's path and wander into danger.  It is only through God's goodness as shown in Jesus Christ that we can be brought back to the fold.  Therefore, we rejoice in the knowledge that Christ will always go out of his way to find us and carry us back into right relationships with God.

There is, though, another way to look at this Scripture.  You see, as members of the Church, each and every one of us has been made a part of Christ's living body on Earth.  We are his hands and feet until he returns in glory.  And that means that we are the ones who are expected to leave the relative safety and comfort of the 99 to seek out those who are lonely, lost, and in danger.  Whenever we find such a person, we are the ones tasked with carrying them back to the rest of the fold.

The parable of the lost sheep weighs heavily upon my heart today.  In particular, it makes me think of the people and relationships that I have let slip through the cracks.  It's hard to stay connected with people...and oh-so-easy to not notice that someone we've lost regular contact with is struggling.  And, friends, there are so many people struggling in so many ways. There are times when it seems like our flocks have more lost sheep than found ones.

What, though, would happen if each of us made a point of reaching out to one person we haven't heard from in a while...one friend, colleague, or family member whose absence we've noticed but who also keeps slipping our minds?  I suspect that if we all did so, we would find a good number of lost and wounded sheep who could use a little help finding their way.  And through God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, we may be just the right person to offer them a sympathetic ear or a helping hand.  Imagine how great it will be to rejoice with them when we are all safely back in the spiritual fold.  Imagine how lovely it will be when someone find us in our distress and offers to carry us on their shoulders for a while.

Whether you are currently the shepherd, the lost sheep, or both, I pray that you feel Christ's presence in your life today.  May Christ shield, protect, and guide you all of your days.  When you feel lost, may Christ seek you out and lay you on his shoulders for a while.  And when the time and circumstances are right, may you experience the deep fulfillment that comes with helping Christ carry someone else for a while.

 

Prayer

 Christ, sometimes I am the sheep.  Sometimes I the shepherd.  Help me discern which I am in each moment of my life.  May I be gracefully accept others' help when they offer to carry me.  May I may be ready, willing, and able to seek out and carry others through their times of need.  I rejoice that no matter how far away your flock may wander, you will always bring us back home to you.  Amen.