Dumb Sheep
Matthew 18:12-14
What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray. In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
If a man will leave 99 to find one stray sheep, our heavenly Father will certainly go after any stray sheep that belongs in His fold. Everyone is valuable to Him, and He doesn’t want to lose a single one. While we might think He would rejoice over the 99 that didn’t cause Him any problem, His joy is found when the one who strays returns to the fold. Only then is His flock complete.
I’m so very glad the Father brings back those who are His own. I have hope for loved ones who have gone astray. I’m also concerned, however, that those 99 of us who are still in the flock don’t see the value of the one who went astray. We may see him as flawed or immature. We may even see him as inferior to us in some way and judge him for his waywardness. In truth, we have all gone astray and are in need of repentance. Just as he wandered, the ability to stray or lose our way is there for us all. Thankfully, we have a Good Shepherd who is willing to come after us if we lose our way because we are valuable to Him. Therefore, we should also value others who have gone astray and rejoice when they return to the fold, rather than judging their waywardness.
Sheep aren’t the wisest of animals. In fact, they are quite dumb and need someone to care for them. They lose their way easily. Jesus calls us the sheep of His pasture. Therefore, we are all dumb creatures who lose our way from time to time and need to be rescued. When sheep cry out, the shepherd can hear them. Cry out today to your Good Shepherd if you feel lost. If you are right where you need to be, then realize that you need the same grace and care from the Father as the one who is astray. If it weren’t for Him, we’d all be devoured, but He values us enough to care for us and call us His own. Hallelujah!
Have a blessed day!