Drawing inspiration from Renée, I led our church thru the following devotion Sunday evening:
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home, then he calls his friends and neighbors together and say, “Rejoice with me! I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.
This is the first in a trio of stories that Jesus tells, all involving something that was lost being found. In this story, a shepherd loses one of his sheep. Immediately he leaves his flock and goes out in search of his lost sheep. When he finds his lost sheep, he returns home that throws a party.
The second story is of a single woman, perhaps a widow, who loses a tenth of her money. Immediately, she begins a desperate search throughout her house to find the lost coin. Looking high and low, she turns her house inside out until she finds the lost coin, at which point she invites her friends over for a party celebrating the recovery.
The final story is the longest and probably the most famous. It is the story of a young man who leaves home and squanders his trust fund, every last dime. Poor, broken, and humiliated, he finally returns home, hoping only to be hired on as one of the staff. Instead, when he arrives home, he finds that his father has been looking for him, anxiously awaiting his return. The father runs out to meet his returning son, embracing him. Immediately the father cancels work for the rest of the day, and throws a lavish party celebrating the return of his lost son.
A lost son. A lost coin. A lost sheep. Three things, all valuable to those that lost them, all looked for, all celebrated over when they were found.
Gabe has asked me to lead us in a devotion tonight, and for that I want to focus on the first story, the story of the lost sheep. Listen as I reread the story.
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home, then he calls his friends and neighbors together and say, “Rejoice with me! I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Let me start by asking you to put yourself in the place of the shepherd. Has there ever been a time when you lost something valuable: Your house key? Your wallet? Your wedding ring? Maybe something less tangible, like your job? Maybe something far more personal, something far deeper, something far closer to your soul.
Try to remember that feeling of loss. Try to recapture the moment when you discovered the loss. Jot down any words or phrases that come to mind. Sketch any images that pop into your head as you remember what it is like to loose something of deep value.
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
“I am the good shepherd,” Jesus said. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…. I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Without letting go of the shepherd, shift your mind now to the lost sheep. Picture yourself and the little sheep who has wandered off and gotten separated from the flock. You are the lost sheep.
Where are you? Where do you wander off to? Sometimes we wander absent-mindedly; other times we intentionally and determinedly set out on an independent path. Where do you go? Are you out of touch with the shepherd now? If so, where are you?
When you finally realize you are lost, how do you react? Do you try to find your way home? Are you the kind of person who must fix the problem? There are times when we must work out our way home. But there are also times when we must let go, when we must stop trying to solve the problem. There are times when we must sit, when we must sit and wait for the shepherd.
How does it feel to wait, to sit and wait for the shepherd to find you?
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
“Today,” Jesus said, “salvation has come to this house…. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Imagine you hear the shepherd approaching you now. He has found you. You who once were lost have now been found. What does he say to you? What do you say to him?
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home, then he calls his friends and neighbors together and say, “Rejoice with me! I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Take a few moments now to finish writing your thoughts, while we play a song. The song is a reflection on the Good Shepherd stories in John 10, written by my good friend Tom Fisher.
At the end of the evening, as we were packing up to leave, my daughter’s stuffed monkey went missing. Kiki, who had been seen by all earlier that night, disappeared without a trace. We turned the place upside down for 45 minutes to no avail. We return tonight for another look.
Does anyone else see the irony?
UPDATE: Kiki has been found! Samantha had stuffed her into one of the toys at church she uses as a stroller for her baby. We had a small party with Gummi Bears before bedtime.
UPDATE 2: Tom has graciously allowed me to post an MP3 of his song, “Lead the Way,” which I used to close the devotion. Please, let me and/or Tom know what you think of the song. (Download - 5 MB)
I must direct you attention to a book. Renee Altson’s first book, Stumbling Toward Faith, is being released next month, and I must commend it to all who drop by here. Hers is a story that you should hear.