Luke 15 (New Living Translation)
Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
This passage of scripture has ruined my life.... seriously, all of a sudden I can't approach life in the same way I always have, American culture can't fix it, Christian rhetoric can't sooth my conscious. For the first 30 years of my life I have read this passage, had it taught to me in Sunday school, and had it preached at me from the pulpit. The problem is, I never saw what Jesus was actually saying .... until a few months ago (that's when i did a little studying).
I've always seen this parable as merely a symbol of love... so much love that we lose one sheep, leave the 99 to go find the one. In actuality, a shepherd, as well as the people hearing Jesus, would have a much different view of the story. Shepherding was a business, if one sheep was lost the shepherd had to find it; if the sheep was not found then the shepherd was financially responsible for it. He had to answer for his stock, pay for it out of his own pocket. Not only was his finances on the line, his reputation as a shepherd was on the line. Losing a sheep was a HUGE deal. That's why when the sheep was found there was incredible rejoicing.
Jesus is making a very serious point to us 2000 years later... we are held responsible for the lost, it's a non-negotiable. Sadly, we have become a Christian culture that says.... "Come out of the bars, come to church, get Jesus" ... "Drop your addiction to (insert vice here), come get Jesus". See the pattern, "come here". Luke 15 tells us otherwise.... go find.
I can no longer sit back and just wait on the preacher to become a better speaker in order to entice people into the church pews. I can no longer wait on the music ministry to get better musicians so people will come hear the latest worship song. I can no longer wait on the youth pastor to get those goofy black lights for the youth room or come up with a killer name for youth service. Passing the buck in my own life, sadly, is over.... Jesus has told me to GO and FIND... the buck stops with me ..... my normal American life is over .... When my time is over I can't tell Jesus, "sorry, I lost a few sheep, but I lived in a killer house and my stock portfolio was rockin... and I paid my tithes on time, every time" .... that stuff won't go very far when He looks and me and says "you owe me for the sheep you didn't go and find".
Just my thoughts.... it's my blog!! hehe
