The Lost Sheep

Gospel: Matthew 18: 12-14

Jesus asks us what we think of this case: a shepherd has 100 sheep; one gets lost, so he leaves the 99 in search of that one lost sheep and rejoices upon finding it.  Makes sense, right? In human terms, no.  No shepherd in his right mind would leave 99 sheep unattended for fear of losing them just to find one lost sheep.  He would protect the remaining 99 and abandon the one lost sheep to be devoured by wild animals.  That is what any human shepherd would do.

But not so with God.  God will seek out that one lost sheep, going to any lengths in order to see it safely home.  God is not concerned about the welfare of the other 99, for they are loved and protected by God as well.  God trusts them to be fine, for God knows the other sheep would want God to seek them out if it were one of them who was lost.  That is the love and trust that exists between God and the sheep.

But what of us? How often do we act like human shepherds and not at all like God in this story! We are fine with casting away those who go astray, those who are difficult and disagreeable to us.  We prefer our small, pure church of like-minded individuals.  We may even rejoice when others different from us leave the church community.  We are not at all like God.  But Advent calls us to repent of this and begin anew, to remember God comes and is for all.