Just picture this story for a moment and imagine what you would do if you were the shepherd. You have one hundred sheep, and you lose one. Do you choose to leave behind the rest of your flock—all ninety-nine sheep—to pursue the one who is missing?
These people were rejected by the religious community, but not by Jesus. In correcting the religious leaders, Jesus reveals the heart of God.
God longs for everyone to repent, to turn around and come to Him. Instead of shunning fellow sinners, we get to welcome those with messy, hurting hearts because Jesus longs to bring us all home. Because Jesus first loved us, we get to show overflowing grace and love to others! And when we are lost and hurting, Jesus will leave the ninety-nine to draw us back to Him and reunite us with the flock. When I was working at a bank, a lady came to the door. I tried to explain that the inside doors were shut but she could still go through the drive-up.
I felt horrible. I thought, "I should have opened the door and made sure she understood before she left! I failed.
But God still loves me when I fail. Peter failed many times. He even denied Jesus before they hung Him on the cross. Three times Peter denied he even knew his Savior, and Jesus still took Peter back into the fold.
