Luke 15: 4-7
4‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
There was a commercial on TV a while back – for what I don’t know – where a young couple were driving somewhere, and after a stop, he (you knew it was the guy, right?) could not find his sunglasses. The two of them looked everywhere. They backtracked every place they had been that day. No luck. Finally, late in the day, he was coming out of a cave they had visited, and a bunch of bats flew out. He put his hood up and the sunglasses fell out of the hood. The young man looked a bit sheepish, but you could tell he was overjoyed! Even the young woman had to smile.
This parable and that commercial speak to me! When I have ever lost something that has some kind of value to me, whether monetary or sentimental, even if I don’t need right then, the fact I don’t know where it is drives me nuts! Looking for it becomes a virtual obsession. I cannot rest (at least not well) until I find it. And if I never find it, I always wonder about it.
This parable is about that kind of obsession. The kingdom of God is like that. The shepherd lost a sheep. The shepherd obsesses over the sheep until the sheep is found. Then there is a celebration. Even the neighbors are invited over! Can you imagine inviting the neighbors over each time you found your lost keys? But that is what happens in heaven when one lost soul is found. All the heavenly hosts gather together and celebrate.
God is obsessed with finding and saving lost souls. God was obsessed with you and me. When we were found, there was a celebration in the kingdom. They did that for you. They did that for me.
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