Unlimited: The Shepherd Risked It All For You
Mar 13, 2020 1432
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? (Luke 15:4, NKJV).
One of my favourite stories that Jesus told was about the lost sheep. A shepherd had 100 sheep, and he lost one of them, so he went back to find it. This story beautifully illustrates the love of God for even one lost sinner.
But what about the ninety-nine other sheep? The story says that the shepherd left the ninety-nine in the wilderness.
The shepherd risks it all for that one lost sheep. His love for the one is so great, that he is prepared to lose everything for its sake.
That is what the cross was all about. For you, he was prepared to give up the universe, to risk it all.
However, the ninety-nine must share in the risk of the search. Because the shepherd risks, they too must risk.
Belonging to the shepherd is not just about comfortable church lives. When the Shepherd is in the wilderness, searching for his sheep, we must be there too.
That’s a hard lesson, especially for those ninety-nine people who consider themselves just and without a need to repent – those who think they have already made it (v.7).
You see, the Shepherd wants us all to go home together – yes, all the wounded, all the lost, all the broken – and none of us will get there before the other.
– Eliezer Gonzalez
Eli’s Reflection: We all like being comfortable, and we don’t like taking risks. Are you sharing the risk of the Shepherd’s search for his lost sheep? What can you do to push your boundaries of how you share the Good News with others?
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