Submitted by Pastor Brad Dush, Fairfax Methodist Church

Another parable that Jesus told, found in Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:3-7, is the story of the Lost Sheep. If you have not read it recently, I encourage you to pause and read the passage before continuing. (FYI: Luke places this parable alongside the Lost Coin and the Lost Son, forming a trilogy of “lost and found” stories that reveal the heart of God for those who have wandered.)

Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who has 100 sheep, and when one goes missing, he leaves the 99 and goes after the one that is lost until he finds it. When he does, Jesus says the shepherd picks up the sheep and carries it home, rejoicing. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!” (Luke 15:6 NET).

(FYI: In the ancient world, sheep were not only valuable, but they were also vulnerable. A sheep separated from the flock was in real danger, and the shepherd’s search was not careless. It was a rescue.)

The heart of the parable is not simply that the sheep wandered. The heart of the parable is that the shepherd noticed. The shepherd moved toward what was missing. The shepherd searched until he found it. Jesus ends the story by teaching that heaven rejoices when even one sinner repents (Luke 15:7 NET). That is a stunning picture of God’s heart, not distant, not indifferent, but attentive and active, full of joy when restoration takes place.

When we hear this story today, it comforts us because it reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s pursuit. It also confronts us, because it calls us to reflect the Shepherd’s heart in our own lives. God does not treat people as disposable. God does not write people off. God searches, God carries, and God restores.