The Shepherd Leaves The 99 For You
What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:12-14
Jesus told this parable to show us his love for each person. It is a love so beyond a Valentine’s Day experience. It is a love of a shepherd going after the one wandering sheep.
His heart is full of compassion for those who feel isolated: the overworked, underappreciated mama, the financially stressed dad, the geeky boy who is bullied at school, the teenage girl who yearns for approval.
He knows the dark corners of our hearts that we don’t want anyone else to see. He knows when we pull away from his love because of shame, fear, or anger.
And he runs after us. He does whatever it takes to bring us back.
Jesus showed his love for us in a way no Valentine card can…. he gave his life up for us. He became our sin and gave us his holy righteousness. When God sees us he does not see the skeletons in the closet. He sees a person made perfect in his blood, that he loves beyond our imagination.
He died to be with us. With me. With you.
That is the love that is every one of ours.
This month, which is highlighted by hearts and sharing loving thoughts, is a good month to talk about what God’s real love for us looks like.
Here are some questions you may want to use to start a conversation with your family about this parable.
Why do you think the shepherd looked for the lost sheep?
How does it feel to be lost? Have you ever been lost before?
How do you think the lost sheep felt when the shepherd found it?
What does this story tell us about how much God loves us?
Have you ever done something wrong and felt far from God? What do you think He wants you to do?
How does it make you feel to know Jesus has forgiven all the bad things you have done?
How can we help friends who feel sad or alone?
Who is someone you can tell about God’s love?
What can we do when we make a mistake? Does God still love us?
How do you think God feels when we come back to Him?
What is one way we can show love to others like Jesus loves us?