Jesus Loves the Lost Sheep
Photo by Robinson Recalde on Unsplash
By Tom Shanklin
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them does not leave the ninety–nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Then when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ”˜Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ Likewise, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety–nine righteous men who need no repentance. (Luke 15:4-7, MEV)
Jesus loves the lost sheep! He is the Good Shepherd who is willing to leave the 99 and go after the one. So often, we are consumed with caring for those who are already in the flock—shearing their wool, trimming their hooves, building fences for them, and feeding them the green grass. Certainly, the care of Christian believers is important, but the Good Shepherd’s mind is always on those who are away from Him. After all, He came to seek and to save that which was lost.
A sheep without a shepherd is defenseless and in grave danger of perishing. The Bible says they are without God and without hope in this world. In contrast, the follower of Jesus can say, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
The lost sheep is in danger from predators, in danger of starvation, in danger of becoming caught in an inescapable thicket of thorns. The world is full of these thickets—a vast cultural maze of humanistic ideas, philosophies, and values that keep people bound and incapable of seeing the truth. But Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” We are the ones who are called to bring them the truth that sets them free.
Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep in response to the scribes and Pharisees, who criticized Him for receiving sinners and eating with them. He was letting them know that His ministry was not only to the religious crowd but also to those who were away from God.
Jesus loves the lost sheep, so He sends you and me to find them and bring them back. This is our mission. This is our purpose, just as it was His when He walked on the earth. We are the extension of the ministry of the Good Shepherd, reaching out to the lost sheep.
Like Jesus, we should spend time with them, eat with them, love them, and bring healing to them, rather than spending all our time with those who already know Him. We are His voice of compassion, We are His hands of care. We are His love in motion.
The Good Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes after the one. To him, it’s all about the one. There may be teeming millions who are away from God, but His eyes are still on the one. The one whose mother is praying. The one who has been deceived by the world. The one who is bound in their addiction. No matter how many people are in a crowd or in a nation, it is still a collection of “ones”— individuals who are lost, hurting, and need God. We are sent to the “one.”
The Compassion of Jesus
Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they fainted and were scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He will send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38, MEV)
Jesus poured out His life to minister to hurting people. He was moved with compassion on them. Why? Because they were fainting and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. But even Jesus could not reach everyone. So He told His followers to pray! Prayer is such a powerful agent of change. Prayer changes us more than it changes God. It causes us to align with His purposes. Pray! He said, to the Lord of the harvest, that He would send laborers into the harvest.
The great need is laborers. There are plenty of lost sheep. There are plenty of people who would come to Jesus if someone would go to them. Pray … that He would send laborers into the harvest.
One thing I have found in years of ministry, you can tell people something over and over, but when they hear God say it, they will change. We all need to hear God’s calling to reach the lost sheep. Then we will say like Isaiah of old, “Here I am. Send me!”
When we pray for God to send someone, chances are that he will send us. When we pray, His compassion is birthed in us. We begin to care about the lost and scattered sheep as He does, and we are motivated to action.
God Sends Us to the Lost Sheep
These twelve Jesus sent out, and commanded them, saying, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles and do not enter any city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach, saying, ”˜The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:5-8, MEV)
After He had commanded them to pray, then Jesus sent them out. Their specific mission was limited to the lost sheep of Israel, but our mission today is to the lost sheep all around the world, including those next door.
We are to give people what God has given us. Freely you have received, freely give! We can only share what we have received. We can share our experience with them and invite them to partake of His goodness. We can tell them, “He changed my life. He can change yours!” We have a good message about a Good Shepherd who loves the lost sheep and wants them to find rest and peace by coming to Him.
Christianity is not just a religion or a thought system. It is a personal relationship with a Good Shepherd. Jesus is not only the sacrificial lamb who laid down His life for the sheep, but He is also the Risen Savior who personally cares for His sheep.
The Good Shepherd has not left us alone in our quest to reach the lost sheep. He says, “… remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” We can lead people to Him because we know Him.
A Relentless Search
The Good Shepherd goes after the one “until he finds it.” This means that He refuses to quit. We, too, must be relentless in our efforts to reach the lost sheep. We need to keep at it until we find a way to bring them home.
We must resist the temptation to quit. Satan will do all he can to stop us. We may be discouraged by the lack of results or beaten down by persecution or criticism. There may be those who encourage us to stop pursuing the lost sheep and live a normal life. But we must remember the heart of the Good Shepherd who came to seek and save the lost.
We may need to rehone our ministry tactics, sharpen our spiritual sword, and retune our minds to speak the language of the lost sheep. Paul said he became all things to all men that he might, by all means, save some. In other words, he was willing to do anything in order to reach people for Jesus. We, too, need to be flexible in our thinking and willing to change if we are really serious about reaching people for Jesus.
I want to encourage you to quit fishing in the same old pond. Go somewhere new and talk to someone you haven’t talked to before! God can only guide you when you are moving. Go somewhere where the fish are biting. Get out of your comfort zone and do something different.
May the Good Shepherd guide you to love the lost sheep and give you the wisdom and power to reach them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Away from the Good Shepherd?
If you are away from the Good Shepherd, I encourage you to pray this prayer:
Father, thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sins. I believe He died for me and rose again. Today, I turn from a life of sin to follow the Good Shepherd and to enjoy the green pastures of life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.