Lost Sheep

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

LOST SHEEP

Luke 15:1-7

15:1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "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? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 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 persons who do not need to repent.

NIV

Why would Jesus not invite the sinner to him? That is the whole purpose of his being there in the first place, to bring sinners home. But we have to see how religious people get upset about sinners getting any attention from Jesus. Shouldn’t Jesus be for the righteous ones? He is our Lord and we deserve just as much attention as those sinners. That seems to be the attitude of those Pharisees, although it is likely they really do not want Jesus either, but it is just a ploy used to discredit him or make themselves feel better about themselves, as they would never eat with sinners. Jesus uses the sheep and shepherd as an example of what he is with sinners. In his divine mercy Jesus looks for the sinner and goes after him. This is how we were and how he came after us inviting us to his table, gathering us to himself. But have we become like the Pharisees, thinking ourselves better than sinners? No, we are but sinners saved by the grace of God. Although it may be true that we are among the ninety nine in some sense, we cannot ever forget we were also that one lost sheep. As far as sheep go, they are not very smart, and are prone to wander off from the flock, then they bleat for the flock but may still run in the opposite direction becoming very vulnerable to predators. It has been recorded that ravens have even attacked small lambs on their own, plucking their eyes out so they are blinded and thus even more prone to they being destroyed. Satan and his demons are just like that. He has been referred to as like a lion seeking whom he will destroy. He blinds the sinner to the truth so he can destroy them completely. Jesus is looking for the sinner, to save him from destruction. Should we not as Jesus lives in us, be looking for sinners as well? Should we not be going out into the field and inviting sinners to eat with us? Shouldn’t we be welcoming them with the grace of God? Sure we might invite them to come to church, but do we invite them to come to dinner? We might hope by inviting them to church they will find Jesus, but having dinner with them is showing them Jesus. This having dinner could be inviting them to actually dine with us, either in our home or at a restaurant, but it also could simply mean being involved with them, with their lives, becoming Jesus to them, showing them the divine mercy. Either way if Jesus is in us, then we need to be going out seeking after that one lost sheep before the devil devours it.