And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.
Luke 15:5-7 NIVUK
The Parable starts with the shepherd knowing and seeking. It ends as the shepherd finds:
And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.”
Luke 15:5-6 NIVUK
Oh, what joy!
The shepherd finds His lost sheep: alone, exposed, likely hungry, dehydrated, exhausted. He recognises that the sheep cannot make it back to safety on its own. So what does He do? He picks it up on His shoulders and carries it home.
We cannot be sure of how heavy this sheep would have been. However, the predominant breed of sheep in the Middle East at the moment is the Awassi sheep. Rams of this breed weigh between 60 and 90 kilos; ewes between 30 and 50 kilos.
So what we can say is that rescuing this sheep from being lost would have taken a lot of effort, and bringing it back to the flock likely as much, if not more.
And nothing much has changed.
The effort that Jesus expended to bring you back into His flock is enormous:
‘I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:14-15 NIVUK
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
1 Peter 3:18
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8 NIVUK
Jesus taught His disciples that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends (John 15:13), and then He exceeded it by laying down His life for His enemies.
That is the effort He went to in order to save your life, in order that you are found.
He broke every rule, blew every mind, and came down to earth as a baby. He lived a misunderstood, persecuted life. He gave Himself to pay the price for your sins on the cross. He beat death for you so you never need to be afraid of anything ever again.
He did that to seek and save you.
You don’t need to stay lost.
Not when your shepherd’s heart will be filled with joy when He finds you.
Be found. Right now.
Jesus ends this parable with an awesome statement:
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.
Luke 15:7 NIVUK
This was, of course, aimed at the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who were criticising Him. They felt they were already righteous and looked down on everyone else, especially tax collectors and sinners – even to the extent of thanking God that they were not like them (Luke 18:9-14). They thought they did not need to repent.
Yet nothing could be further from the truth. As Paul taught:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23 NIVUK
And John agrees:
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
1 John 1:8-10 NIVUK
We might scoff at this parable and wonder why there is less rejoicing at the ninety-nine who had no need of repentance. But here is the kicker: the Bible teaches that we are all lost, and we all need to be found. Even religious people. Even pastors, missionaries and Bible teachers. All were lost. All need the Gospel to be found.
So if you feel lost today, you are not alone. We were all lost.
But we can all be found. Right now. If we choose to be.
Prayer
Lord, it’s not at all hard for me to admit that I am lost. It’s obvious. But I don’t want to be lost anymore. Please forgive me for the wrong things I have done that have made me lost. I don’t want to do them anymore. I want to be found. I want to follow You. Show me how, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Questions
1. In what ways are you lost? How did you become lost? How does it make you feel to know that God knows you are lost?
2. How do you react to the truth that Jesus is seeking you to find you? Do you want Him to find you now?
3. What will you do to stop yourself from feeling lost again?
Comentários