If you lost a sheep, wouldn't you go find it?

Context

Luke 15 opens by dividing the people who were coming to hear Jesus preach and teach into 2 categories. On one hand there are tax collectors and sinners- and on the other side there are Pharisees and teachers of the law. One group is engaged in hearing Jesus; and the other is engaged in talking about Jesus.

In this chapter Jesus tells 3 back to back stories about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. All of these stories carry a common theme of salvation to the lost.

It is important to note that to the Pharisees Jesus hanging around with the sinners and tax collectors was more than him just keeping questionable company- this is much more.

Jesus is breaking the laws of cleanliness and contamination- In Jewish law to eat with someone who is unclean was to open yourself to being unclean as well. Seen was seen as something contagious like germs and to be in close proximity with someone who was active in sin was to open yourself up to catching it.

Jesus is breaking social and religious structures- there were rules and orders to these things, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were not to be mingling with such people. What would someone think of a highly respected Rabbi keeping company with such low class citizens

Jesus could be accused of supporting and accepting such behavior. Out of the three things that are most shocking about Jesus’ behavior this is the one we still deal with today. To this day Christians still have to walk a fine line because there are many people out there that think if we associate with certain kinds of people we are endorsing their sin. Now, I am one of the first people who will say we need to keep a watch on the kinds of people we hang with because we can all easily be influenced- but just because I have a relationship with someone does not mean I support their life in every way.

The Value of a Life

There is another theme that makes it across each of the stories, and I think Jesus wraps it up in the one question- wouldn’t you go looking for your sheep?

In many ways, Jesus is abolishing the value system that mankind places on life; and let’s face it; we struggle with this still today. It can be so easy to look at someone else and see their worth as effected by their sin, their shame, or their pain. Many of us might struggle with seeing a drug addict as someone as “valuable” as us; or a prostitute; or a single mom with 4 kids by 4 dads. The world’s social structures seem to teach us that we are worth what we put in; and so if someone is not pulling their weight in society they are not as important as someone who is.

For example; if we were to take a middle school janitor and put him stranded at sea and say we needed $1 billion dollars to get him back; how many people would say- it’s just a janitor, sad situation but hey he shouldn’t have been out there in the first place.; janitors do not go to the

But if we did that same scenario- and I put Taylor Swift stranded at sea how many protests, public outcries; and movements would be made in oder to get her back?

Why is Taylor’s life more valuable than Mr. Smith the school janitor? Because she makes music? Because she has won a bunch of awards? No a life is a life.

Jesus sets it all on one field- 99 sheep. Not a few cattle; a couple donkeys; some sheep; and a pig---nope all sheep. Jesus does not love us based on the world’s scale- all life is worth the same- and all life is worth his sacrifice on the cross.

Jesus also does not love us based on what we think we bring to the table- he does not love Joel Osteen more than me because his church is bigger; he does not love your boss more than you because they make more money; God loves all of us- all of us- with all he’s got. God does not love men more than women; or left handers more than right handers; or democrats more than republicans; or anything like that.

For God so loved THE WORLD-

The Peril of the sheep

Here’s the thing about a lost sheep- we cannot assume the sheep knows it is lost! The sheep is just doing what sheep do- they roam and eat; the sheep might be lost; but it likely is not a runaway. The sheep has not gotten mad at the farmer and decided to go find another farm somewhere- no the sheep is just doing what sheep do.

Friends, the people in your life who are lost--- might not realize they are lost. They are just doing what is natural in this world.

Galatians 5:16–21 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The Sheep are the Rescued, not the Rescuers

Now, don’t get your roll in this story confused- everyone of us is a sheep. Here’s the emphasis- the sheep get’s lost in in v5 we read that the shepherd finds the sheep; puts it on his shoulders and brings it back home.

One difference between Christianity and other world religions. Christianity teaches us that we are lost persons and can not find God by ourselves (e.g. the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin). So God’s Son, Jesus Christ came to find us out. In other world religions, on the other hand, a person tries to find God as if God is lost, hidden or unreachable. You are not seeking Jesus- Jesus is seeking YOU

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

In Revelation 7 there is a great multitude gathered around the throne of God to offer him praise. and in verse 10 listen to what they say:

Revelation 7:10 “and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!””

Salvation belongs to God- it is his thing; he is the owner of it. It is his possession.

We have 8 people in our home; and there is a lot of community space and community property. We share a lot of stuff. We share dishes, and couch seats, and blankets; but you know what we do not share----toothbrushes. Nope, yours is yours and you use it for yourself.

God invites us to join him in a lot of things in this world. When we say yes to Jesus he invites us to help him with helping widows and orphans, in mission work, in discipleship; but one thing we cannot do- we cannot save anyone.

There is great rejoicing

In the late ninety’s Alice Cooper rededicated his life to Christ. Alice’s father was a minister and had been praying for years that his son would come back to Jesus- and after years of cocaine, alcohol, and even a 3 month stint in an in sanitarium Alice found his way back to Jesus; rededicating his life to Christ, and in the early 2000s released 3 Christian Albums.

At some point in the early 2000s I went to an Alice Cooper concert with some of my buddies and we listened to his testimony and took in the concert; and what surprised me was all the Christians in the parking lot who were protesting; saying that there was no way Cooper was a true Christian;

And let’s face it Cooper is not the only Christian that has faced a similar backlash; we have all probably experienced that person….

The Bible does not tell us that Heaven is skeptical; or cautious, or perplexed; or doubtful—- no there is GERAT REJOICING

We have all been the 1

You know what will level the playing field in this whole thought about how we react when a lost sheep is found? Remembering that

Psalm 51:12–15 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.”