The Shepherd’s Heart
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” (Luke 15.4)
Main Point: Jesus actively seeks the lost with the heart of a shepherd who values every single soul.
Picture Bill Thompson, our local rancher, counting his sheep at day’s end: ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine… where’s number one hundred? Most would say 99% is pretty good, but not this shepherd. Without hesitation, he heads into the gathering darkness to search every gully and creek bed where a sheep might be stuck.
This isn’t about statistics or success rates – it’s about the heart of a shepherd who knows each sheep by name. That one missing sheep might have been distracted by what looked like greener grass, followed a promising path to nowhere, or simply got turned around and lost. Either way, it can’t find its way home alone in the Kansas countryside with coyotes prowling and storms brewing.
Think about Sarah Miller, who used to sit in the third pew but hasn’t been to church in months after getting caught up in extra work shifts. Or young Jake Peterson, who drifted away after high school, chasing success in the city lights. These are our wandering sheep. Our Good Shepherd doesn’t abandon them to the wilderness – He goes searching, calling out through the darkness until He finds them.
Reflection: Christ never gives up on His sheep, no matter how far they’ve wandered. Questions for Meditation: Who in my life has wandered away from faith? How can I join the Shepherd in seeking the lost?
Prayer: Good Shepherd, thank You for never giving up on me when I wander. Give me Your heart for those who are lost, and show me how to participate in seeking them with Your love. In Christ’s name, Amen.
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