[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during July 2023]
There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold.[1]
These are the opening lines of one of many such hymns that were popular in a previous generation but have largely been superseded by more recent compositions. It is based on the parable of the lost sheep, as recorded in Luke 15.
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he 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. Luke 15 v4-6
We started last week’s reflection considering the plight of a lonely sheep, and here we return to a similar image.
I have a certain sympathy with the solo sheep. Was she too tired or weak to keep up with the rest of the flock? Was she exploring the potential of greener grass further afield? Had she found a particularly lush area of grass that she did not want to share with the others? Did the rest of the flock move on without consulting her? Perhaps she was tired of their company and wanted to be recognised as an individual in her own right?
We too can identify with some of those feelings. Are there times when we don’t feel like going to church or we think that some other congregation might be better? Have we received a special blessing but don’t want to share it? Do we feel left out when the church tries new ideas without asking our opinion? Do we want to do our own thing for a while?
The subsequent verses of the hymn give a picture of how the shepherd searched for the sheep, eventually found her and brought her back to the fold. The writer describes the deep waters, the dark night and the mountainous terrain that the shepherd traversed in order to recover the sheep.[2] Was it worth the effort just for one sheep?
Parables are intended to illustrate one, usually simple, point; it is not appropriate for them to be extrapolated in a quest for interpretations or implications beyond that originally intended. In the parable of the lost sheep the illustration is simple – a good shepherd cares for his sheep, both collectively and individually, and he is willing to put considerable effort into their well-being.
A flock where sheep are missing cannot achieve its full potential. Have you noticed anybody who doesn’t seem to be enjoying church life as perhaps they once did? Is someone in danger of wandering off? Are you willing to act as shepherd to them?
Resources:
[1] Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane, 1868
[2] https://hymnary.org/text/there_were_ninety_and_nine_that_safely
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Last week’s reflection: Whatever the Weather
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys