[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 02/Mar/2025]
Jesus, in the gospel of Luke, told a parable as follows:
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. 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 persons who do not need to repent.
Luke 15 v4-7 [NIVUK]
I have heard this parable many times, but recently I saw it in a different light. I have often seen it as showing Jesus’ love for the lost sheep, but for the first time, I saw it from the point of view of one of the ninety-nine who hadn’t strayed. The ninety-nine were probably no different from the one lost sheep – they just hadn’t strayed … yet.
The apostle Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”[1] We are all at some point, likely to ‘fall short of the mark’.
What I learnt was that if I was one of the ninety-nine, the fact that the shepherd went after the one that went astray and brought him back home rejoicing would give me hope. If the shepherd however, had said “Hey I’ve got ninety-nine left, I can’t be bothered to chase after one that wanders off”, what hope is there for the ninety-nine if any dares to stray?
Whether you are part of the ninety-nine, or the one who strayed, it is comforting and reassuring that if you wander off, Jesus, our good shepherd, will come to find you. You matter to Him, and when he brings you back, there will be a party, not just here, but also in heaven. Pictures of the prodigal son come to mind.
Another thing I hadn’t noticed about this parable, is who Jesus was talking to when he said it. Luke 15 v1-2 state that “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them’”. Those people considered by some as least likely to be worthy of God caring about them were Jesus’ audience. He let them know that they mattered to God.
If you are at a point where you wonder if God could possibly care about you after what you’ve done, the life you’ve lived, the mistakes you’ve made, the number of times you’ve strayed …, take heart. You matter to Christ. He is the good shepherd. He is your good shepherd. He will come to find you and bring you home.
Resources:
[1] 1 Corinthians 10:12
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Last Sunday’s reflection: Battleship Faith by Martin Shorey
Contributed by David Makanjuola; © David Makanjuola