READ
15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:1–7, RSV2CE)
REFLECT
Sinners draw near to Jesus. Jesus receives sinners and eats with them.
Jesus came for sinners. I am a sinner, he wants me to come close. He wants to receive me. He wants to eat with me.
Jesus goes after sinners. Jesus goes into the wilderness leaving the religious to find the sinner. Jesus finds them on purpose. When he finds the sinner He puts them on his shoulder to carry them home.
Jesus came into the wilderness leaving Heaven and the religious to find me in my desert. He came searching deliberately for me. He picked me up out of my sin and put me on his shoulders to take me to his house.
He rejoices with his friends and neighbors that he found me and brought me home. He did not rebuke me for my sin, he simply picked me up and took me home and rejoiced! He rejoices over saving sinners.
The religious murmur. The religious are the ones trying to keep sinners away from God.
His friends rejoice with him that he rejoices over finding and saving sinners. I want to be a friend not a religious!
There is more joy in finding and bringing home sinners than there are with the righteous who don’t need repentance. Jesus looooves to get sinners home!
Do not be afraid that I have wandered. He is looking for me. I will let him pick me up and take me home to rejoice in me with his friends!
Letting him pick me up means I learn to let go of what is sinful and stay with him. (Repentance)
RESOLUTION
I am a sinner. I will have sin all the way home, but try to stay as close as possible. Jesus constantly is seeking me if I stray. I must keep letting him pick me up and put me on his shoulders and let him take me home to rejoice! Instead of murmuring about sinners and trying to shame them away from God, I should help them see Jesus and want to let him pick them up too. Rejoice with Jesus who loves to save sinners, then I am his friend!
REST
I can rest knowing Jesus does not get mad at me when I sin, he wants to seek and pick me up. I do not need to fear coming to him. Don’t listen to the religious crowd. Listen to the shepherd who is calling me. I can rejoice, Jesus rejoices in saving sinners! Jesus rejoices in saving me even if I sin. He is more happy saving me than if I needed no saving!! I will not fear Jesus, I will let him pick me up! I trust in you!!!
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