With God, statistics are always trumped by relationships. In Luke 15:1-7, Jesus told a parable about a good shepherd who had one of his sheep disappear. The sheep had escaped and the shepherd now faced a problem: does he leave the 99 sheep still has to find that one missing sheep or does he stay with the 99 and count that other sheep as a loss? The effort and time may not be worth that one. Yet, in the parable, Jesus tells us that the shepherd goes and searches for the one missing sheep. When he finds the sheep, he celebrates with his friends. Jesus tells this parable in response to the Pharisees looking down on Jesus because he is going to the sinners. Jesus explains this parable to them all by sharing that heaven will rejoice over the one that was saved over the 99 that were already saved. This parable does not say that the 99 are not worth celebrating over, but rather, focuses on celebrating over the one rescued sheep - that that one lost sheep that was found is worth celebrating.
It made me realize today that I need to ask myself a I actually going out to find the one? Is the time and effort worth it? Is the ridicule of others worth going after to save that one? What if I did not get to save that one, is it still worth trying?
It reminds me of Saving Private Ryan. The story is about how a small group of soldiers has to go and save Private Ryan - one soldier. In the process, several of them (SPOILERS) die. At one point, one of the soldiers asks the captain if it is worth losing all these men to save one guy. Even Private Ryan himself says, "Why me? Don't any of these men also deserve to be saved and sent home?" The captain replies, "Is that what we are supposed to tell your mother when they bring her another folded American flag?" In other words, his life is valuable. The army has put value on Private Ryan's life and has said that his life is worth saving - even at the expense of other soldiers. Do we view others that way?
Jesus told us to try to love and care for others. Is it worth doing even at the expense of our own life? Now the scary part here is that the story of the shepherd and the sheep is not that the one sheep that disappeared was the best sheep in the fold. No. The sheep that got lost is just another sheep. The point is that that sheep is lost. Will we love and care for others even if they are not significant in our eyes? So the question on my mind right now is, who is your one? Who is that one that God has put on your heart to do everything you can to "save", to care for, to bring back to Jesus? And are you willing to give everything you need to in order to save them? Jesus shows us the standard as he did that for us. Can we show that same type of love to others? For it was while we were still enemies of God, while we were still sinners, that Jesus died for us. Can we "die for others" when loving them even if they are our enemies?
Who is your one? And are you going to give it all in order to save them because you know they are worth it?
It made me realize today that I need to ask myself a I actually going out to find the one? Is the time and effort worth it? Is the ridicule of others worth going after to save that one? What if I did not get to save that one, is it still worth trying?
It reminds me of Saving Private Ryan. The story is about how a small group of soldiers has to go and save Private Ryan - one soldier. In the process, several of them (SPOILERS) die. At one point, one of the soldiers asks the captain if it is worth losing all these men to save one guy. Even Private Ryan himself says, "Why me? Don't any of these men also deserve to be saved and sent home?" The captain replies, "Is that what we are supposed to tell your mother when they bring her another folded American flag?" In other words, his life is valuable. The army has put value on Private Ryan's life and has said that his life is worth saving - even at the expense of other soldiers. Do we view others that way?
Jesus told us to try to love and care for others. Is it worth doing even at the expense of our own life? Now the scary part here is that the story of the shepherd and the sheep is not that the one sheep that disappeared was the best sheep in the fold. No. The sheep that got lost is just another sheep. The point is that that sheep is lost. Will we love and care for others even if they are not significant in our eyes? So the question on my mind right now is, who is your one? Who is that one that God has put on your heart to do everything you can to "save", to care for, to bring back to Jesus? And are you willing to give everything you need to in order to save them? Jesus shows us the standard as he did that for us. Can we show that same type of love to others? For it was while we were still enemies of God, while we were still sinners, that Jesus died for us. Can we "die for others" when loving them even if they are our enemies?
Who is your one? And are you going to give it all in order to save them because you know they are worth it?
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