I wrote a sermon on the following passage, from the vantage point of the ninety-nine—The Ninety-nine, Including Fred, but I envied the one lost lamb:
“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable: “Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it? Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent” (Luke 15:1-7).
The lost lamb gets most of the attention: the shepherd (God) found him, placed him on his shoulders, and hosted a party on behalf of that lamb. “There is more joy in heaven over the ONE than over ninety-nine….”
Some might wonder, “So, you want to become lost again?!” No, not really. However, I, like all children of God, have at one time been that lost lamb. We decided, then, to repent and receive God’s gifts of grace, forgiveness, and salvation.
The lost lamb in the story is in a good place; when the shepherd came, the lamb didn’t resist, but he allowed the shepherd to get him to a better place in life, which brought happiness.
In essence, the lost lamb did what’s in the following: Searching? Consider this…
Can you share about an experience of being lost, and then being found? What was that like?
Fred, bravo! I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the parable from the different angles.
Sometimes I feel there exists a bit of a misconception with the parable of the prodigal son and the lost sheep. While there is greater happiness in heaven for the ones that have returned than the ones who never strayed it is yet a joy of homecoming rather than preference.
If you lost a five dollar bill while doing lawn work in your backyard and found the bill five days later while pruning your roses, would you be happy that you found your money? Would you place it in your wallet next to the other five dollar bills? Would that particular bill mean more than the others or would you just be happy that it was back with you? And, how long before that lost bill was considered to be just another five in the bifold?
There is no joy sweeter than finding peace and salvation in the Lord. The return of the lost sheep is worthy of much rejoicing. Glory be to the Most High, Hallelujah!
Jim, your illustration of the five dollar bill is helpful! God loves each of us, whether lost or found at the present time. He just wants us safe and sound in His family, in part so we can then be a great blessing to Him and the world.