Saturday, April 25, 2026

Luke 15:1-7 

The Parable of the Lost Sheep 

15 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 

3 So he told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 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. 

Devotional 

Who are you in this passage? You actually have a few choices: 

Pharisees (the 99) 
Jesus 
Lost Sheep (tax collectors and sinners) 

Chances are that over the course of your discipleship, you will find yourself stepping into each of these roles at different times. 

There will be days when you are the Lost Sheep—the one Jesus must pursue and rescue. You may feel ignored, dismissed, or overlooked by the community. You may need a Holy Spirit search party to come find you. You may wander into doubt, addiction, bitterness, pride, or despair. And sometimes you won’t even realize you’re lost until you hear your name called. 

Then there will be other days when you resemble the Pharisees, standing comfortably inside the sheepfold, wondering why that “silly Lost Sheep” keeps wandering off. You might feel judgmental, apathetic, or simply exhausted by someone else’s struggle. You’ll think, “Why can’t they just get it together?” And you’ll forget—at least for a moment—that you, too, were carried home once. 

And then there will be times when you reflect Jesus’ own posture. You’ll step into the night to seek someone who’s wandered. You’ll guard the gate so no one slips out and no danger slips in. You’ll forgive when it’s inconvenient. You’ll pursue when it’s exhausting. You’ll love when it costs you something. 

But here’s the good news: 
Only one of those roles actually saves anyone. 

You are not the Savior of the flock—Jesus is. 
When you are lost, He comes. 
When you are self‑righteous, He corrects. 
When you are called to seek, He goes with you. 

The Pharisees grumbled. 
The sheep wandered. 
Jesus rejoiced. 

And heaven still rejoices over one sinner who repents. 

So who are you today? 

If you are lost—stop running. Let yourself be found. 
If you are among the 99—soften your heart. 
If you are sent to seek—go gently, and go boldly. 

Because no matter which role you find yourself in, one truth never changes: 
You belong to the Shepherd who never stops searching. 

– Pr. Jason 

Let us pray: God, thank you for searching for me day after day. Show me how to have a heart like you for the people in my community. Amen.