Found by Love

Luke 15:1–7 NRSV

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

We all want to be loved. Rather it is love by our parents, siblings, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend and even our friends in general. We search for it to be accepted and sometimes we search for it in all wrong places. You remember the song, looking for love in all the wrong places? We we certainly do not want to be found by that love.

We hear all kinds of cliches about love going and coming. One that came to mind is a quote that has been written by many in long and short versions of it. The one I know is by Douglas Horton that says, “If you love something let it go free. If it doesn’t come back, you never had it. If it comes back, love it forever. When I here this quote and I think about the parable that Jesus was sharing with his disciples and those who followed. The parable in chapter 15 is just the opposite of the quote, right? This parable tells us about love that is found because it was meant to be always. When you love something with a pure heart you cannot help but to go looking for it when they are lost. Jesus asked a question who would go and find one sheep and leave the rest to risk getting attacked by wolves? How many of you would risk your life to go and search for one whom you love and not even thinking about the danger that could be out there while searching. The owner of he sheep was willing to take that chance because that one meant more to him than 99.

When one is lost it is our responsibility to go and find them and bring that back with celebration in our hearts when they are found. When we are found by love joy should fill our hearts. When we were found by Jesus we found him by his love. Remember Jesus was never lost, we were the lost ones and his love drew us to him. This is the same kind of love we must have when we are going after the lost. We are fishers of people and when we have found them, we can lead them to a Christ that loves forever and celebrates the coming of one into the kingdom.

The Joy that comes with one who has been found is expressed in many ways. It can be with joys of laughter and cheering or it could be with tears of sadness and yet joy at the same time because the lost one was found. I can imagine the sheep herder walking in the wood or open field listening and looking for any kind of movement for the sheep who has been separated from the flock. I can hear his prayers to God asking for guidance to find the one and bring it home. When we seek after the Lord and trust him to help you the outcome will be joyous.

The sheep herder found his sheep and carried it back on his shoulders with I am sure much joy and happiness. You see when you are found by love nothing can or will stop you from finding the lost. When we are out living the life as a disciple we are searching for that lost one who is looking to be found by love. Only Christ can give this kind of love that is fulfilling and perfect. We rejoice over this find and celebrate, why because the angels in heaven are having a party like no other. So, why should we not be having same kind of party when one if found by love.

John 3:16 says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not parish but have everlasting life. We were found by love through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. God did not leave us out there to wonder the world lost, he placed his son here on earth so that we may be found by his love and his love alone. We all know the song, Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I am found was blind but now I see. This is a song about being found by love and the celebration comes along with it is our time to fulfill our call when the roll is called above .

We are valuable enough that Christ died on the cross for our sins so that we may be found by love. We are valuable enough that when we get off track or lost that he will call us back with his love or send someone to come looking for us to bring us back in to the household of faith and the Kingdom of God. Love is a powerful thing and when we have the love of Christ in our hearts we cannot help but to go and find the lost and give them an opportunity of the same celebration we had when we came to Christ and just like how the sheep herder did with his friends and family when he came back with the one lost sheep. The mission was accomplished because it/we were found by love. The greatest love that one will ever know is the love of Jesus Christ. When the sinner comes to Christ and repents this is a celebration better than a child being born into the world.

There is a song by BeBe and CeCe Winans that they play at weddings, but when you listen to the words it is really talking about a love between Christ and his bride that has come to find true love. Some of the words say, When I found you, I found somebody who cares. When I found you, found my most intimate prayer. When I found you, I found what every heart dreams of. When I found you, I found love. There is no other kind of love that will lay down his life for a friend. I am so glad that I have been found by love. Is there anyone here today that is excited and celebrating that you have been found by love, the love of Jesus Christ who will leave 99 just to come and get you and love you unconditionally.

When you are found by love you will have joy, peace, longsuffering, patience, kindness, generosity. This is what will encourage you to go and bring someone to Christ who is lost. When you are found by love you will have generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control just as Jesus did with his disciples and his followers sharing this parable. I celebrate today because we were found by love. I celebrate today because Jesus called out into the dark and found my heart and brought me home.

Being found by love, the love of Jesus Christ is the best kind of love to be found by.