The Lost Sheep

“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If

a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the

ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he

should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over

the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so, it is not the will of your Father who

is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:11-14

I love the image of Jesus running to this little lost lamb in the forest. It is a sweet

depiction of Jesus and his pursuit of the lost sheep. In the image, the lamb truly looks

lost and helpless, it looks like it just accidentally wandered away trying to find its home.

Take a minute to see it from a different perspective, what if the sheep walked away on

purpose, thinking that there was something better outside the arms of his shepherd?

Too often it is the latter of the two. The sheep has come to believe a lie that the

Shepherd does not have all that the sheep needs. Most likely this sheep did not set out

to turn away from Christ the Good Shepherd. It started by listening to the lies the enemy

was whispering. Then it begins to believe the lie that it will be safer, and happier on its own

and that it can battle wolves and predators by itself. Or better yet, join those predators

and be safer.

What this poor sheep fails to realize is that not only will it be in grave danger with

predators, but not having the care of the shepherd will begin to allow the weight of life,

of sin, of heartache, to weigh it down to the point that it cannot even walk. This weight

has blinded the sheep so that it cannot see clearly. This is the exact place that the

enemy wants the sheep to be in. If the sheep cannot move one step, it cannot find hope.

If it cannot find hope, it can then be destroyed. If it cannot see, it cannot know where

freedom truly lies. This sheep is alone with its weight of self, constantly adding and

becoming heavier and heavier. This is a true place of despair, a place of lost hope, a

place where it feels that there is truly no one who cares or loves them. But the truth is,

the shepherd is constantly searching for this one sheep, pursuing it, calling for it. It is

not that the shepherd does not know where this sheep is, but it is that this sheep has

told the shepherd to stay away, the shepherd is only waiting to hear the sheep call for

him. Oh, what joy when the sheep cries out to the shepherd. It is then that the shepherd

can remove this weight that has held the sheep down, that has kept this sheep bound

and in prison. What a joyous moment when we call out to our shepherd Jesus. When we

allow him to remove the weight of sin and shame when we cast our cares on him. It is in

the presence of our savior that we are constantly being sheared, having our sin and

shame removed so that we can walk and we can move with the flock and be truly free,

and truly at peace. It is the shepherd that protects us from predators, but we must listen

to his voice, go where he tells us, and come when he calls us. This true protection of our

souls is everlasting, this peace is eternal, and this love is never changing.

" The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10