Leaving 99

Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
So he told them this parable: Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.



The story sounds just Bizarre. Jesus leaves a whole flock of sheep to go after one lost sheep. Would anyone leave 99 alone to go find just one? I mean think about it, if you had 100 pennies and you lost one would it really bother you? I mean if you were to leave 99 children alone at a Daycare to go looking for one you would lose your job. So what could this parable possible say to us? This week we start a 5 week series on the least, the last and the lost. We start with a Shepherd and his love for each sheep. You see the reason that Jesus used such an outlandish parable to show the love of a Shepherd is because it is the love that he has for us. So often, we find ourselves in the skin of one of the lost sheep, We have wondered from the flock and have gone astray. It is at this point that Jesus leaves the ones that are entacted and goes looking for the strays, You see that is the Beauty of the Holy spirit that Jesus left with us. The spirit refuses to leave us outside the flock. He is always helping to put us back into a right relationship. Do you feel lost? Do you feel like you have been left outside the flock? This week we will visit the outlandish story of why anyone would leave 99 to find just one. Here is the question are you that one?