One Is Worth It

 

 

Lk 15:1-10

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Today Jesus gives us two examples of his boundless love that includes extraordinary effort expended to rescue one sheep or to find one lost coin. More "practical" people would have let the one sheep just stray or forget the lost coin, but not these owners who cherish even these lost items enough to take the time to find and retrieve them. What a consolation to know that this is how our God works. We are each so precious to him that he would stop all to find and rescue us and to rejoice over us as if he had found a million dollars. It's beyond consoling to know that our God cares for us in this way.  Let us thank him for his loving care and imitate it in our caring for others.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus help me to love others as you love each one of us. Amen.