The Lost Sheep

Jesus once told a story about a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. He knew them all. He led them to green grass and to water, he counted them at the end of every day, and he kept them safe through the night.

One day a little sheep wandered off. It was not being naughty. It just put its head down, followed one interesting patch of grass to the next, and looked up to find that everything around it was strange and the others were gone.

That evening the shepherd counted. Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine. He counted again, and one was missing.

So he left the ninety-nine in a safe place, and he went out to look. Over the hills. Between the rocks. Into the quiet places where a small frightened animal might hide. He did not give up when it got dark, and he did not decide that ninety-nine was enough.

When at last he found the little sheep, it was alone and shaking. He did not scold it. He knelt down, gathered it gently in his arms, and lifted it onto his shoulders. And he carried it all the way home.

“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!”

Luke 15:6

When he reached the village he called his friends and neighbours together, because he was too happy to keep it to himself. One that was lost had been found.

Jesus told this story so that we would know how God feels about us. Not one of us is too small to be missed, or too far away to be looked for.