Luke
15:1-10 NIV
15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering
around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the
teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “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? 5 And when he finds it, he
joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his
friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost
sheep.’ 7 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.
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver
coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t
she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she
calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have
found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is
rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Lost and Found
I had it made. I always
had food and water and even treats all times of the day. I had a wonderful yard
to roam about and my special places that I could go to do my dirty deeds. Once
back inside, I had heat and cooling and people would make over me and pet me
and call me a good boy. There were soft comfy places to just take a break and
snooze or sleep for long hours. Every once in a while, she would take me for a
ride and let me hang my head out the window so I could lap up the cool air into
my mouth. As we sat a stop lights, I had a blast barking and growling at the
folks next to us. And then, even better, she would gather up a little sack and
take me for long walks. Yep, I had it made.
But then it
happened. One day, I blew it. She left the gate open in the back yard. Well, as
I was going from one spot to another, enjoying all the smells and picking up my
toys, I forgot what was going on. I was having so much fun. I wandered through
that open gate to enjoy new smells. I moved about from spot to spot and met people
I didn’t even know existed. I even saw some of my friends on the way, we
sniffed each other’s butts and moved along. This was a special time for me. A
new adventure that I couldn’t help but take.
I had to be careful
though. As I ventured along there were some scary sounds and huge objects
speeding by. But I just kept on going, really enjoying my life. As I ventured
along, I came to this really BIG BIG thing that made a really loud noise. Then
I crossed over some kind of large metal rails.
And before you know
it, I found a whole bunch of new friends. They were on the rough side, and many
of them would growl and threaten me with their teeth. But some of them were
just like me, wandering around from one smell to another, having a good ol
time.
But then I looked up
from one telephone pole and it occurred to me. I’m lost! I have no idea where I
am or who I’m with. That comfortable place that I had been at just a few hours
ago, seems like a lifetime in the past. And then it got dark and cold and I was
hungry for anything. I was so thirsty that I drank dirty water from a mud
puddle. The only water near that I could see. I jumped into this big huge metal
cage and ate some stinky food just to relieve my hunger pangs a bit.
I was scared. I was
lost. I was sorry for what I had done but had no idea what to do about any of
this. I needed some help. I needed her to come and find me and save me from all
of this. Help!
---
Well, I let him out
but forgot to shut the gate after mowing the lawn. Now he was gone! I hopped
into the car and drove all around the neighborhood. Then I came back home to my
other two dogs and the cat. I called my dearest friend and told her what had
happened. It was getting dark and I knew just what I needed to do.
So, I slipped into
my tennis shoes, put my slacks and blouse on and left the house. I would do
anything to find him. I picked up my girlfriend and we rode all over the place.
She watched me cry and watched me get out of the car. Later this is what she
said about my search.
---
My friend jumped out
of the car. She was frantic. She looked everywhere. She even went to the other
side of the tracks where it was very dangerous. She took risk after risk. She
was willing to risk her very own life just to find him. She asked some pretty
sketchy people from the other side of the tracks if they had seen him. She went
into some awfully dangerous places to ask questions. In a certain part of town,
you could hear all sorts of yelling and gun shots and police sirens. But none
of this stopped her. My friend was on a mission to save him. Even if it cost
her life, she was determined to save him.
It got a little
strange for her. She found dog after dog that was lost. She would even wander
into the pack looking for him. These pack dogs became her friends as she gave
them treats. She called a friend of hers to have these pack dogs rescued and
cared for, but she kept on hunting for him.
And then she spotted
him. Hiding behind a dumpster. She picked him up, even though he was filthy
with oil and dirt, she kissed him and hugged him and you would have thought she
had found heaven.
Running back to the
car that I was sitting in, we drove home to the other dogs and the cat. We
celebrated together with a feast like no dogs or cats had ever seen before. She
was full of joy.
---
You know, it got rough.
There I was all alone, afraid and I had no idea what to do. But then it
happened. There she was! Oh, how I loved to see her. She ran up to me. I thought
for sure I was in the most trouble of my life. But she didn’t care one bit what
I thought. She snatched me into the air, kissing and hugging and screaming how
she had finally found me! I couldn’t believe all that happened after that. It
was wonderful.
---
Well, Billy… you’re
not so much different from him… that is the dog. I wander off from God and seek
the joys of life. I smell the alure of money, food, sensual pleasures and move
from spot to spot until I’m lost and afraid and on the other side of the
tracks. Instead of turning to God day after day and loving God for His eternal
presence, I wander off.
But thanks be to
God, he comes after me. He hunts me down. God comes down from heaven in flesh
and blood to rescue me from myself. And what does God do? God washes me in the
lovely cool baptismal waters, even buries me under that water, that I may be
raised up to a new life with Him in eternity. Then God gifts me and calls me
and sends me out.
Yep, He sends me out
to the other side of the tracks, to speak of His grace that He has richly shown
to me. It’s a bit fearful at first. It can be dangerous. Bad things just may
happen to me, but I know that I have someone by my side to love me and care for
me, to heal me and guide me and to take me home at the last to be with him
forever and ever.
Oh YEA! It’s worth
all the risk. Even if just one person hears His Word speaking in and through me
that they too may come forth into those refreshing baptismal waters to be with
Him in His Kingdom, now and forever.
Thanks be to God!
I leave you with
this YouTube Music Video that reminded me of this week’s reflection…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9ZtP6db8AI&list=RDo9ZtP6db8AI&start_radio=1
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