Joy when the lost are found

When Jesus finds the sheep who are lost (souls that are spiritually wandering far from God), He must be like the shepherd described in His parable:

And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ (Luke 15:5–6)

How do I know that? Because when a lost sheep is found, they will tell someone their good news, and when I hear about it, I rejoice. My response is spontaneous and far greater than my delight over human accomplishments. 

For instance, my granddaughter wanted chickens and fresh eggs for her family. In her town, it was against the law to have chickens, so she went to city council and somehow got the law changed. She now has chickens, even made the pages of the local newspaper for her spunky efforts. This story delights me, partly for what she did and partly that she did it legally instead of simply breaking the law as many others do. However, should she or anyone else in my family hear the call of Jesus and be “found” by Him, my joy would be deeper, richer and perhaps louder! That kind of joy stretches from the bottom of the heart all the way into eternity.

Why is that? What makes the friends and neighbor of the shepherd rejoice over found sheep? Perhaps it is because in actual sheep situations, they have had the same experience of losing and looking for the lost. They also know the delight of finding and can share in that delight. 

In the spiritual realm, my delight parallels the depth of my understanding of “lost” — the more aware I am of the peril of being lost, the more excited I am to hear that a lost person has been found. 

That delight also parallels the love I have for those sheep. If I care about someone who is lost, then I will be praying that Jesus will bring them to the path that leads to God and eternal life. I’ve noticed that the more I pray for anything or anyone, the more I feel invested in the outcome. That is, when Jesus rescues someone I love and have had on my prayer list, my joy almost puts me in orbit. 

My delight also parallels the “lostness” of the sheep. While ‘lost’ is lost, some are only just outside the fence yet others are on the edge of a cliff. In both, spiritual lives are in grave danger. However, in some cases the choices the sheep make puts their physical well-being in danger also. So when Jesus pulls one of those sheep off the edge of a cliff, my heart (that has been in my throat) rejoices to see that sheep being tenderly placed on a safer path.

Lately as I pray, I think about these words from Jesus: “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). Full joy is fine with me, but because of His promises, my prayers are focused more on those lost sheep.  

His joy becomes my joy

Jesus looks for and finds the lost. He compares His saving work with that of a shepherd who has lost one of his sheep and goes looking for 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 his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ (Luke 15:5–6)

I remember those days right after my Shepherd found me. More than once, I sat on the front step of my porch in the warmth of the sun experiencing the delight of being at peace with God. My joy that was a new, wonderful, never-before experienced joy. I didn’t know then but I do know now that those emotions were from God.

When Jesus enters the life of a repentant sinner, He brings with Him His entire Person, emotions included. When I am yielded to Him, I am very apt to experience His emotions. That means when Jesus rejoiced at “finding” me, I felt that same joy at the wonder of what had happened in my life.

It is the same with what some call “righteous indignation.” When evil happens, my response is anger and sorrow. Those too are the emotions of Jesus. Events that did not bother me in my BC days began to bother me as soon as He came into my life.

He also says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). I used to be envious of those who rejoiced, particularly if they had accomplished something and their joy was about themselves. I also ignored those who wept, not wanting to be involved in their negative emotions.

Jesus changed that indifference. He cares about others. He weeps alongside those with broken hearts. He cares when people succeed or fail, repent or harden their hearts. Because of Him, I can care also, but the caring is from Him.

Joy is the best gift though. When a lost soul is ‘found’ by the Savior, my heart soars. When a Christian grows spiritually, or uses their spiritual gifts, or is used by God to do great things, or has their prayers answered, I can rejoice with them — because the rejoicing Jesus lives in me and graciously allows me to feel His joy!

Seeking the Lost

What happens when I lose something? At first, I mentally retrace my steps trying to figure out where I left it. I try to choose patience but often become frustrated, first with the stupid object that I lost, then with myself for losing it. I might also get distracted and go do something else, or become riled because searching is such poor use of my time. At that point, I will pray — if I didn’t think of that in the first place.

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (Luke 15:4–5)

The Bible says that every human is lost. That is, sin separates us from God and keeps us from fellowship with Him. Many are not aware of this and like wandering sheep, go from this morsel to the next, unaware that they are meandering toward danger and eventual death. Those who are aware may frantically try to find their way to the sheepfold, but without success. Our best efforts are useless because lost sheep need a change of nature to get into that place of eternal safety.

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God…. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:3–7)

Today’s devotional reading reminds me again of the attitude of my heavenly Shepherd. While a human sheep-chaser might get angry, the Shepherd does not. His search is motivated by love and He will not fume and fuss, but eagerly and tenderly pursues the one who is lost.

He did that with me. I can remember Him calling. I ignored it at first. Then He made me aware of my surroundings and with that, I had a sense of the peril I was in. I began to look for a way out of danger. My search included all sorts of philosophies, all self-effort. None of them gave that sense of peace and safety that I was seeking.

Then the Shepherd found me. I was deep into my search and getting closer to a cliff when He rescued me from my own ignorance and sin. The moment I realized who He was, I was instantly in His care and rejoicing along with Him. The lost had been found.

The Shepherd never became frustrated or annoyed. He was never distracted nor did He give up. I ran, hid, and struggled on my own without paying attention to Him, but He pursue me until He found me.

I learned later that Jesus is motivated by an irresistible love and must continue His search until He succeeds. There is no stopping Him. In unstoppable grace and mercy He accomplishes His quest and makes the wayward sheep His own, forever and never to be lost again.

Today’s devotional writer turns my attention to Jesus’ charge to go into all the world and make disciples. This too is a seeking of the lost. Do I look for them in the same way Jesus does? Or am I more like myself when I have lost something in my house or at the bottom of my purse?

Do I get discouraged with rebuffs and rejection? Do I get frustrated or even angry that this is a waste of time? Heaven forbid. I need to remember that I also ran from God and tried to put Him out of my life. Even when He turned my interest toward Him, I wanted to find Him on my terms, not His. But He was not put off nor did He turn aside. He persevered with me for He had even died for my lost soul.

As the devotional says, my attitude should be that same persevering love that is willing to seek until it finds. Whether this means to “live or die, work or suffer” or “whether the time is short or long or the way is smooth or rough” the heart of God lives in my heart. I must allow Him to make a shepherd of me — so I too am seeking the lost and pointing them toward His fold, finding them until they find Him, pursuing until He grants them grace to believe, even as He pursued me and granted me that same mercy and grace.

Be like Jesus?

Jesus said of His generation that they were like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” They were critical of John the Baptist for not being sociable and saying that he had a demon, then critical of Jesus for eating and drinking. They called Him a “glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:16–19).

In Luke’s gospel, the author links this charge against Him with a parable of His response to their criticism…

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? (Luke 15:1–4)

Like the Pharisees, we can be quick to judge the motivations of Christ and Christians. My sister describes her concern about this. She had been spending a few hours each week in Bible study with someone who wanted to learn, but whose lifestyle had not yet been affected by the gospel. On one of those weeks he didn’t show for their meeting. Since the town was small, she took a look for him and found his car outside the local pub. She remembers sitting in her car debating. She was certain the Lord wanted her to go fetch him, but worried that someone might see her go into the pub and receive the wrong impression. Then she remembered that Jesus didn’t care about the suspicions and accusations of others. She went in and her disciple was quite happy to come out for their weekly study.

This is the love of Christ. He is not concerned what others think about His relationship with sinners. He cares about each person and shows it in practical ways. In those days, He ate and drank with them. The Bible does not describe their conversations, but it seems to me that there would be a good deal of joy and laughter around the table. Jesus is like that.

Further, He does not wait until a sheep is willing to show up or make an attempt to get out of whatever place that represents its lost estate. He simply goes to wherever that person is, more concerned about the one who has gone astray than what others think of His actions.

The devotional writer for today says, “O sweet love of Christ! Let us learn the love of Christ, that we may be wise in shepherdry. Let us not talk about our friends and say we love them, but let us show it by earnest, personal, speedy endeavors to do them good. Let us not wait until we see some goodness in them—until they seek after instruction. Long before they have a thought of coming home, let us be eager to grasp them, if by any means we may save some.”

I’m convicted by this. I can spend hours in prayer for those who don’t know Jesus, but find it much more difficult to spend time with them. I’m not put off by their sinful state (as the Pharisees thought Jesus should be), but have difficulty putting shoe leather to my prayers. I’m unsure of being accepted, unsure of how to talk, unsure of whether to share my faith or be a friend that patiently waits for them to ask about it. (What if they never ask?) 

Jesus didn’t hesitate. His love is about the other person, not about Himself. As soon as He knew about a lost sheep, He “is on its track at once, though he knows that he must mark that track with his blood… no pausing nor resting until he finds it.” 

Jesus was willing to pay the ultimate price that sinners might be saved from sin and from the wrath of God and judgment. And I am not willing, but making excuses? My “love” is lacking and not even close to His love. As discovered yesterday, I’m in need of a major renovation.

Renovation project?

Occasionally I dream that I’m living in a different house, not a surprise for we have moved many times. Someone told me that houses in such dreams represent things in my life. Sometimes the house is large and spacious with many rooms. Sometimes it is filled with furniture, or people. Sometimes there are hidden and locked rooms. These could be pictures of what is going on, or perhaps dreaming about a house last night could reflect the devotional focus of the past few days.

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2)

In this verse, the house is not mine, but God’s, and His Son is the way or door into His house. “Jesus said… ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6). While the door is open and everyone is invited, there is only one entrance. No one can get in any other way.

In the postmodern thinking of today, this exclusiveness makes some people angry. They think it presumptuous to claim only one way to God, and even to claim being sure of heaven. However, it isn’t what I say but based on the claim of Jesus Christ and the promises of God. He said that He is the only way and that He is preparing a place for those who believe in Him. He also says we can know that we have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

In my dream, I had guests in my house, a couple and their daughter, not close friends but not enemies. I’ve not thought about them for months. Perhaps the dream is a signal to pray for them, but in context, it is likely a reminder about that future home. That is, when I am in those many rooms of my Father’s house, there will be others there too. Heaven will not be filled with “us four, no more, shut the door” but with all of God’s children. As the song goes, “Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” God may be inclusive about the way into His house, but He is not inclusive about those He invites.

The Lord loves all those that I love and all those that I might not like very much. Heaven’s house could be filled with the people I’ve disagreed with here, even those that have hurt me or given me grief. I will live for eternity with them. So perhaps the dream was to remind me to be at peace with others, forgiving those who have sinned against me and loving those who seem less lovable than the people on my preferred guest list.

Of course, in heaven, negative attitudes and sour relationships will not exist. In being made like Jesus, each of us will be fully cleansed of our selfish and sinful desires and responses. We will not have those childish I-wants that can turn dreams into nightmares. Yet as I think about the house in my dream and the house that Jesus describes, He seems to be saying that the place He is building there can also describe the place that He wants to build here.

That is, my heart and home here on earth could be enlarged and more like heaven. Jesus wants me to make room for everyone including family, friends and even those not on those lists. As He prepares a perfect dwelling place in heaven, He also wants to repair my home, heart, and attitude here, including anything that is broken down, run-down or has closed doors. Heaven’s windows have a warm glow. What about where I live right now?

I would not be surprised if last night’s house dream signals another major renovation project.