“Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15.3-7
When I used to read this parable, I always wondered why the ninety-nine were left alone. Then I realized they were already found—safe in the open, protected by their large numbers. When the shepherd leads the ninety-nine, he leaves them safe and secure, protected from evil. It is the one solitary sheep who needs saving—the one who is alone and could easily be picked off by a lion or a wolf. The ninety-nine are safe, but the one needs rescuing.
In this parable, Jesus also portrays the one sheep as a repentant soul and the ninety-nine as unrepentant. He says that heaven rejoices over the one who turns to Christ—the ninety-nine who do not think they need God. This point emphasizes the need for all to repent and turn to Jesus. It aligns with His teaching on the narrow gate that leads to salvation and the wide gate that leads to destruction. God wants everyone to come to Him.
Bottom line: When one turns from sin and comes to God, heaven rejoices. There is no length to which Christ will not go to rescue His people. Throughout Scripture we see God reaching out to His people—Samuel, Mary, Paul, Elijah, and many others. And God will do the same for us. There is no place we can run, no place we can hide, that Christ cannot find us.
Have you turned to Christ? Have you repented of your sin and disobedience? Why not come to Jesus today? Your life will then be made whole.
“O Lord God, You are good and faithful. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for allowing me to walk in newness of life. I praise You, Lord, for Your unending grace. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.