Fourth Discourse in Matthew: Lost & Found

Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. ~ Matthew 18:10-14

You ask 'for what' God wants you. Isn't the primary answer that He wants you? We're not told that the lost sheep was sought out for anything except itself. ~ CS Lewis


If there are any shepherds out there, you might not agree with Jesus' summation that a typical shepherd would naturally leave 99 sheep to go look for one lost one...

 But then, our shepherd isn't a typical shepherd.

 There's nothing here about why a lost sheep needs to be found. Nothing about it being the shepherd's favorite or it being the most genetically pure or prettiest or the one with the most meat on it or the most wool to produce...

 It just needs to be found because it is lost.

 If you've ever been a five year old kid who got lost in the supermarket, you might know that the price of getting in trouble from your parents was worth being found by them.

 You might remember that even if they had other children, your parents still wanted to find you. You weren't just a spare.

 You likely remember the relief at hearing your mother's voice coming down the aisle of the store.

 You were found because you were important.

 The relief your parents had when you were found was something else. For that brief shining moment, it made their ease with your siblings not being lost to begin with pale in comparison to the joy of your turning up.

 At least, I hope that was all true for you, if you were ever lost...

 Have you ever been lost?

 I think I am at some point daily.

 And there is such great relief to know that it isn't my lost-ness that defines me. It is God's found-ness.

Meditation: Sit in silence so that God may gaze up you, finding you just as you are. 




Popular posts from this blog

The Gospel of Mark: Women at a Distance

There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.  These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. ~ Mark 15:40-41 Where have all the disciples gone?  What about the crowds? Whose left? Some women. Standing at a distance. These two verses have always been poignant to me. We get so little in any of the gospels about the women following Jesus. But here's what we know about them. First, they paid the bills. And second: they stuck around. They would be the ones to watch Jesus die and the ones to visit his tomb. One of the things I've noticed about Mark is how he is able to say so much about people even by using so few words.  About Judas we know his character despite getting so little about him. About the woman who anoints Jesus, we know her generosity despite not even knowing her n...
Read more

Transformed through Courage: Esther

Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying,  “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days.”  When they told Mordecai what Esther had said,  Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.  For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”  Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai,  “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my beha...
Read more

The Gospel of Mark: The Crucifixion of Jesus

They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.  Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).  And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it.  And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.  The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”  And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.  Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,  save yourself, and come down from the cross!”  In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himse...
Read more