Luke 15 : 3-7 -- The Parable of the Lost sheep
This passage is very familiar to all of us. It's where Jesus is sharing the incident where a sheep went away from the Shepherd's oversight by it's own & the loving shepherd goes behind that one sheep that is lost and finds it and comes back and celebrates the joy with the others.
There is a very meaningful truth hidden in that passage. Just quoting the crux of it our meditation.
Verse 4 - We know(even from Psalms 23) that the sheep are lead to 'green pastures' and meadows where there is grass, water and all supplies needed for the sheep to feed on and be happy. However, if we notice, in this verse, it says that the shepherd left the sheep 'in the wilderness'.
--> This is an important truth. God, our Shepherd, sometimes leads us through wilderness situations and not always on green pastures. Faith Life may not always be fair or like a bed of roses. He knows the best for us. #ChristianTruth
The shepherd is so loving that he goes to search for the lost sheep, even in the wilderness. Wow! Such a Loving God we have!
There are some important things that we ought to note here.
1. The shepherd does not take the 99 sheep back to the sheep pen and then goes searching for the lost one.
A wilderness is a deserted place. Just imagine how much confidence the shepherd must have had on the remaining 99 sheep, that they won't scatter away or run away. He was so confident on the fact that 'his sheep hears his voice' (John 10:27) and won't go anywhere or do anything without his command. Does God have that confidence on you?
2. The shepherd searched 'until he found' that lost sheep.
The wilderness is always deserted & has thick vegetation. It would be almost impossible to search for such a small thing as little as the sheep. It would have taken him minutes to hours to even days to find that lost sheep. But the shepherd was persistent in his search and did not give up going after that lost one.
God was very very persistent to seek us out. In the same way, if you are praying for your friend or your family or for any other loved one, God will be so patient and persistent and chase them down by His Grace until He brings them back to His fold. Amen!
3. The shepherd laid the found sheep on his shoulders.
We can think about this in a slightly different way. When you are praying for someone to be saved or for God to touch their life, take up that task of praying that person upon yourself. Don't see it as something remote. Take it up upon your shoulders. Shoulders is where we bear burdens right? Be burdened for that person and pray for them.
4. The shepherd came back home and rejoiced with everyone.
This is a point that personally spoke to me in a new way. What would we do once we get the lost one back? We give so much counselling or treat it differently or make sure we teach it a lesson right? But, here God teaches us a very important lesson. For example, if one of our known believer friends went on his/her own way, then God encountered them again and then they came back to the community. We would have this on our mind when we see them, isn't it?. An attitude like 'oh, you're the one who went away and came back right?' prevails in our mind every time we see that person. But, God is not a respecter of persons(Rom 2:11). He never differentiates between(Gal 3:28). This is something that we ought to pray for and learn. We should see people through the eyes of Jesus.
This passage teaches us some important truths about God as our Loving shepherd as well how we ought to be and how we ought to pray for the lost ones.
Life lesson --> Be such a person whom God can have confidence upon.
Just summarising the points that we ought to follow, when we pray to The One(Jesus) for 'that one'(our friend/family/believer):
1. Don't worry about the 99 always. Focus on 'that one'.
2. Be persistent in your prayer for 'that one'.
3. Make it your burden and pray for 'that one'.
4. Don't be partial or have an indifferent attitude towards 'that one'.
Keep praying for 'that one' until you see the mountains move! God bless you!
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