Luke 15:7 “… heaven
will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God …” NLT.
Reading from March 19 from RBC, Our Daily
Bread and what impressed me was the word, pursue.
This word means “to follow in order to catch up with and seize; to take hold of.”
Wow! What a beautiful picture, the way God was to pursue the person until one finally repents and that the
heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents.
The writer, Anne Cetas wrote a short
story about a daughter who grew up in a Christian’s home and when she went to
college, she walked away from God. Her family prayed for her. After graduation,
she traveled, always looking for happiness, but never feeling satisfied. While experiencing
some difficulties, she recognized that God was pursuing her and that she needed Him. She called her parents
that she has received Christ. Her parents called over some family to rejoice
with her.
The Pharisees and Scribes complained
about the tax collectors and sinners who ate with Him. So Jesus gave three
illustrations about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son to the religious
people of His day to show how He came to earth to pursue lost sinners. So I choose one illustration to show
how Jesus pursues a
lost sheep.
“If you had one hundred sheep, and
one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the
ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it? And
then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. When you arrived, you
would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your
lost sheep was found. In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost
sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and
haven’t strayed away!” (Luke 15:1-7 NLT)
Why would it bother the Pharisees
and teachers of religious law that Jesus would fellowship with these people?
It was because of the Old Testament law that, they were always careful to stay
“clean.” Their law taught them to avoid certain people who were considered
“unclean.” For this was the reason, they complained to Jesus that He was being
“defiled or unclean.” Jesus didn’t worry about their accusations. Jesus risked
being “defiled” (unclean or corrupt the purity) by offering salvation to
sinners and to show them that God loves and pursues
them.
It may seem foolish for the shepherd
to leave 99 sheep to go search for just one. But the shepherd knew that the 99
would be safe in the sheepfold so the lost sheep was in danger. Because each
sheep was of high value, the shepherd knew that it was worthwhile to search
diligently for the lost one. Jesus associated with sinners because He wanted to
bring the lost sheep--people who considered beyond hope--the Good News of God’s
Kingdom. God’s love for each individual is so great that He pursues each one and rejoices when a person is “found.”
Before you were a believer, God
sought you, and His love is still seeking those who are yet lost. This is the
kind of love that urged Jesus to come to earth to search for lost people and
save them. This is amazing love that God has for you. If you feel far from God,
don’t despair. He is searching for you and pursuing
you.
Something beautiful,
something good;
All my confusion He
understood;
All I had to offer
Him was brokenness and strife,
But He made something
beautiful of my life.
(Gloria Gaither, Sing His Praise)
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