Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable:
“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?
And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.
Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
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.
Luke 15:1-7
You may be familiar with the story in Luke 15 of Jesus leaving the 99 sheep to go look for the one that was lost. We seem to know well how the story begins: Jesus leaving the 99.
But do you know what Jesus did immediately after finding the sheep? I think we sometimes forget that part.
Look at the verses again and notice what He did:
And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.
Focus on that for a moment. He doesn’t scold the sheep. He doesn’t even require the sheep to walk back on its own—even though it was the sheep who wandered away from the group in the first place.
The shepherd bears the burden of the sheep’s wandering. He carries the weight. And he does so with no bitterness.
Just the opposite. The shepherd “joyfully” puts the sheep on his shoulders and carries him back home.
And the story doesn’t end there! It continues, “Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’”
If you are a believer in Jesus and have been found by Him, celebrate today. Imagine what that moment looked like in the heavenly realms. Jesus picked you up and, with a bright smile on His face, placed you on His shoulders to carry you home.
And if you have not yet placed your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, focus today on this God who loves you.
No matter how far you have wandered from Him, He wants to find you and be in relationship with you. And He will joyfully place all of your guilt and shame on His strong shoulders when you come to Him.
And there will be rejoicing in heaven when you choose to believe.
Make that decision today.
Prayer
Thank You for being a good and loving shepherd—one who leads with confidence and goodwill. And thank You for being a shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep. For that lost sheep was me. May I follow You boldly and with my entire being. Amen.