Lost and found

Matthew 18 : 10 -14

...will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?

It has become a family story. My younger son got lost in a mall when he was four years old. One moment he was beside me as I was buying something and the next he was nowhere to be seen. After half an hour's frantic search, retracing my steps, I almost gave up. It must have been God's leading for I came across an information counter inside the department store. And there he was sitting on the counter, looking forlorn but not even in tears. He must have been still in a daze.

I know what it is like to be a lost sheep who is found. For several years, to use our Christian jargon, I 'backslided' in my walk with the Lord. In the beginning, it seemed to mean nothing to me, to wander off from my loving Shepherd. Life went on fairly normally and I suppose I did not even feel 'lost' in any way. I thought I knew my direction in life. I would like to imagine the agricultural context Jesus uses. A sheep lost in the hills would very likely be in danger. It could wander far from a water source; it could fall over a cliff and break a leg; it could be attacked by wild animals. Similarly, when a believer loses his or her way, many dangers lie in store. Initially, we may not realize the perils. We may enjoy what we believe is new found freedom, fed by curiosity and the pull of the world. In time, the sense of lostness will catch up with a person. I did begin to miss communing with my Lord, although it was some time before I responded to his Voice.

I am glad Jesus gives us this parable. It reveals God's heart. It reminds me that while I was lost, my Shepherd was searching for me. He could have settled for the ninety nine who did not stray. A ninety nine percent success rate is tremendous. But God lovingly considers the welfare of each wayward believer. I am truly grateful for his pursuing love that brought me back into his warm embrace. I am sure many others have experienced times when having strayed, when having turned their backs on God, they hear his call and are led back into the fold.

I believe that as Christian communities, we too are called to go to whatever lengths we can to restore wayward brothers and sisters. It is easy to judge and criticize, but much harder to pursue and restore our fallen brethren with the love that God wishes to extend through us. The good Shepherd will persistently and lovingly pursue his lost sheep. And very often he asks our commitment to work alongside him.