Fresh Wind Ministries

Luke 15:4 – 6 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ¨And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.   And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

This is a wonderful parable that Jesus is sharing.  Here we can liken this parable to Jesus as the shepherd that is in search of the lost sheep. The lost sheep in this case would be a member of the Body of Christ.

We can see here that a sheep has strayed and fallen into the wilderness. The wilderness is a desolate place where one is lonely and deprived of protection. In the wilderness there are no guidelines, no safety and depression can easily set in.

How would the sheep get lost? What paths did he or she walk in, and how did they stray from the protection of the shepherd?We see that these things happen often.  Perhaps they begin going to church and maybe even a Bible Study and somewhere along the line, they take a different path and end up in the wilderness.

Maybe they fell into deception. There could be a number of reasons. But the reason why they go astray is not what I would like to focus on. I would like to focus on the rescue.

The parable states that the shepherd goes after the one which was lost in the wilderness. We see the heart of a pastor working here, or anyone in ministry that suffers when  a member goes astray.

When the lost sheep is found, notice how the shepherd lays him on his shoulders. He decides to take his burden and give him rest, and carries him along to a safe place.The sheep at this time has been feeding on the world, and not the word of God. I can imagine he may be pretty heavy with the world inside of him.

We don’t read in the Bible how the shepherd is scolding him or rebuking him for his behavior,  or for separating himself from the fold or lecturing him on his sin. He simply finds him, carries his burden and brings him back home.

After the lost sheep  is found, the shepherd is rejoicing because the sheep is back in the safety of his home. He is so happy to have him back that it sounds as if he is going to have a celebration. I can imagine the neighbors and family members just as excited about having the lost sheep back home safely.

We are living in grace, and are no longer under condemnation. We as believers make mistakes, we are not perfect. There are times where we will fail.

What I love most about this parable is that grace does not remember your sins. Grace does not bring condemnation. No fault was found upon the lost sheep. Rejoice at the grace that the Lord shows His Bride. Let us show that same grace to those around us.  Let us flow out of love and grace towards each other. In doing so, it will be automatic that those around you will flow the same way, in love and grace.

What mistakes have you made? God does not remember your sins or your failures. We are the ones that bring condemnation upon ourselves, the Lord does not. Shake off that condemnation and rise to the fullness that the Lord has for you.  Remove the condemnation that you may be sitting in, and rise up in His Glory.