Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to complain, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
And so He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the other ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance."
Luke 15:1-7
The lesson here is that we should never underestimate the power of God.
When we look at people we only see the exterior; we do not see the heart. We may think some people are so far from God that there is no hope for them and what's more we may think, "Well, they are not the people we want in our church."
But Jesus does not see what we see. He sees people who are hungry for the love of God and who are ready for a life change. And, then He pours His love on them and welcomes them into the family of God.
We are a part of this when we extend the hand of Christian fellowship to others. Some may show up at our church, others may be at the supermarket or park or where we work. Everyone is the same with God, He loves and cares for everyone.
So, look for lost sheep and tell them about the love of God.
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