The Chase

I'm having an ongoing discussion with a friend of mine about Jesus' parable of the lost sheep. We've got some questions that aren't covered in Luke 15. Not all sheep who wander off are happily recovered and glad to be "rescued". Jesus' parable of the lost sheep goes like this ... a shepherd has 100 sheep and one of them wanders off. The shepherd, being the fine, upstanding shepherd that he is - gives chase to the one, leaving the other 99 behind. Jesus' point was to illustrate the importance of going after that one sinner, that one person who lacked faith or wasn't plugged in. The other 99 sheep apparently attend church on a regular basis, graze at the same covered dish luncheons and serve on various committees; they aren't going anywhere and the shepherd knows this. I totally get that, but going after that sheep who wanders off ain't always that easy. How far off do you go before the other sheep start wondering where you are? How long do you give chase until all you can do is hope you've done enough protect against predators and offer up prayers for that poor, misguided little sheep? When is the chase over? (These are all rhetorical questions, you understand). I wish I could ask Jesus those questions. I'd pull up a rock and say something like, "So, like in youth ministry for instance, which is not like the real world ... let's say I'm the shepherd and my kids are like the sheep." He'd grin and roll His eyes 'cause that's what everyone does when you say youth ministry. I'd continue, "Let's say one of 'em starts to wander off and I call out, but he doesn't acknowledge me. So I begin waving my arms and jumping up and down but he still doesn't acknowledge. The other 99 are standing behind me trying to get his attention too. So I decide they'll be okay without me and I go after this one ... only now he's starting to run down a hill and I know if he keeps going - eventually I won't be able to see him. Plus he's putting more pasture between me and him. So I take off running and I'm not really getting any closer to the one who's run away and further from the 99 who, I hope, are still back there. Then off in the distance I see a wolf -- waiting. My lost sheep is heading straight for the wolf with absolutely no thought of what the outcome is going to be. I know what the outcome is going to be. So Jesus ... how long and how far do I go after this sheep if he's just going to keep running?" Jesus wouldn't answer right away. He'd doodle something cool in the sand. I'd wait impatiently .... He'd put his hand on my shoulder and say, "How far and how long would you want someone to come after you? And while you're at it, how 'bout going after that wolf too?"

Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, 'Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' Count on it—there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.