Welcome to Day 16 of this series, blogging through "Storyteller" - the latest free Bible study from Sarah Koontz at livingbydesign.org.
Today’s passage of Scripture is Luke 15: 3 - 7, the parable of the lost sheep ...
So He told them this parable: “What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance."
The background to this passage is that Jesus had been eating with tax collectors and sinners - and the Pharisees and teachers of the law didn’t like it! (See Luke 15: 1 - 2)
And it's in precisely this context of criticism and disgrace that Jesus tells a parable that reveals a perspective-shattering truth: God’s heart includes those outside the fold!!
Jesus said something similar in Luke 5: 31, when He defended His sharing a meal with Matthew, a "scum of a tax collector", saying: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."
Remember, in today's Scripture verses, Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners yet again - and guess what they are? Lost sheep!!
Jesus is using a seemingly simple parable to let these hard-hearted Pharisees and teachers of the law know how much He cares for those outside the fold ... but He's also trying to get them to realise that they aren't in the sheep pen either, and to show them how much He cares for them, too! Today I want to encourage you to take your time and really allow that truth to penetrate your heart and understanding. Jesus, the One, True God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, so values us that He leaves everything behind to pursue a relationship with us.
So great is God’s desire for restored relationship with you that He came down off His throne, left the perfection of heaven, and lived His earthly life in dedicated service to us, thereby leading Him to an unjustified and sacrificial death, in order to secure our eternal life with the Father.
Today's parable sums up the core of Jesus’ teachings on the gospel. The story of the lost sheep and the Shepherd who leaves those safe in the pen to rescue the one who wandered off, illustrates one crucial truth: God pursues us. His "simple story" clearly display God’s heart for us in that He willingly and passionately comes down to meet and help us wherever we are.
The other key point of this parable is that God rejoices over repentance.
The Bible tells us a lot of things to rejoice over - but this parable shows us that the one thing God and all of heaven rejoices over more than anything else is one person who repents!!
Hebrews 12:2 tells us that "for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross."
Have you ever really thought about what that means? The writer of Hebrews is declaring that the joy set before Jesus (the reward His Father had in store for Him for His obedience) wasn’t being crowned King of Kings. No! Rather, the joy set before Him was all the lost sheep (that’s you and me!!), who would repent and be reconciled to Him and the Father.
I love how Jon Dyer explains the seriousness of this concept: "A sheep apart from its shepherd is defenseless and in grave danger. Jesus views any person apart from Him as lost. How is he lost? His sins alienate him from the holy God, leaving him groping aimlessly in darkness. The shepherd in the story, however, didn’t despise his straying sheep. With a heart of compassion, Jesus also values each sinner the Father entrusts Him. Jesus is intent upon rescuing the sinner not only because the Father gave them to Him but also because He loves them. His love led Him to sacrifice His life on the cross to take their punishment for sin." Sarah Koontz ends off today's devotional with a challenge for us as Believers, and I want to leave this same challenge with you:
"Today’s parable contains some unsettling truths for most Christians. It challenges our preconceptions about God’s value system and frustrates our desire to be recognized for our righteousness. It reminds us that wayward souls are Christ’s top priority, and they should be ours too!" (Sarah Koontz). Please share your thoughts and takeaways from this Scripture reading in the comments section - I would love to hear from you.