leave the 99.

lutsen, minnesota (lake superior)

during my week as an fsy counselor at weber state, there were two boys in my group who taught me what the parable of the lost sheep might mean for all of us.

luke 15:1-7 (niv)

...the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. but the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “this man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” then Jesus told them this parable: “suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? and when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘rejoice with me; i have found my lost sheep.’ i tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

there are many lessons to learn from this parable. that's the point. but let me tell you a story to ponder.

in my group at weber state, there were lots of pairs and small groups, but not a lot of unity. right away, i noticed a boy who had some special needs, both medical and social. i'll call him knox. i was worried he wouldn't be included in the group, maybe even laughed at. however, one of the boys, i'll call him santiago, was aware of others in the group. he started to talk with knox and didn't judge him like some of the others did. on the second day, knox wasn't feeling well and had to get some medicine. that helped, but i didn't want to leave him on his own as everyone went to classes, so i asked santiago to look out for him. santiago took that request to heart, and instead of just taking him to classes, he became knox's friend. he helped him come bowling with the group, talked with him while waiting in line, and let knox join in for pictures with his other friends. i didn't have to worry about knox any longer, because he was being taken care of. even though santiago had become close with the cool guys in the group and he could have just hung out with them all week, he chose to spend time with knox instead. and it made all the difference.

while i was praying one of those nights in the weber state dorms, thanking God that He had put them in the same group and for santiago's friendship with knox, i had a thought pop into my mind (from the spirit!)... santiago left the ninety-nine to care for the one. that idea resonated with me so much that i got out of bed to write it down, and i've been thinking about it ever since. is that what the parable means for us? is God telling us to leave our personal ninety-nine: friends, family, team, popular group, whatever it is, and seek out the one? maybe that one person is lost physically, spiritually, emotionally or socially. maybe we don't know. sometimes maybe we are the lost one in need of the person outside our social circle.

as john lasater explains in his talk, shepherds of israel, "the personal nature of the Lord’s ministry as the Master Shepherd should be the pattern for all who shepherd the flocks of Israel. the depth of His love, His willingness to give freely of Himself, His undeviating loyalty and devotion to the cause shared so completely with His Father, and His constant attention to the needs of the one stand as hallmarks of the true shepherd’s calling. ... do we know our sheep, each one, by name? do they know our voice, or must they hearken unto the voices of strangers? do they know us as true shepherds who love them, who willingly and freely give time and attention to their needs, and, in that marvelous process, instill the confidence and security so greatly needed in God’s children today?"

maybe it’s just another way of saying if you're comfortable, you're not in the right spot (another recent blog post), but watching santiago & knox taught me that lesson in a new way. we'll never regret leaving the ninety-nine to find the one. Jesus will be there with us. this is His work of love.

xoxo, kate