11 [“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.] 12 What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”
Precious in His thoughts are lost souls—the common theme in Jesus’ ministry. And rightly so, for the whole point of His coming was to rescue us from our separation from God. Scholars debate the authenticity of verse 11 (like they do verse 17:21). The question has nothing to do with the inerrancy of the Bible, rather it recognizes that some of the oldest Greek manuscripts do not include this verse, while others (the preponderance of later ones) include it. Discussing the relative merits of this issue is beyond the scope of this devotional. However, it is really a moot issue since the parallel passage in Luke 19:10 contains this verse and there its genuineness is not disputed. The purpose of Christ’s coming was to “save that which was lost!”
Jesus pictures His mission as being like a sheep farmer, who leaves his entire herd to go looking for the one lost sheep. Some question the wisdom of leaving the vast majority untended (vulnerable and exposed) for the sake of recovering the one lost sheep. A key principle for interpreting parables, though, is to focus on the main point and not the incidentals. In Jesus’ eyes, an individual is lost and His concern for the masses extends only as far as His concern for the individuals who make up the masses. Because of this, we speak today of having a “personal relationship” with Christ and “individual salvation.” The Lord seeks a personal connection with each of His creations, for we are all made in His image. No one lies outside the reach of His compassion.
Additionally, no one resides outside of God’s desire to save us. Peter must have remembered this when he wrote, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
God is thrilled to save lost souls, for when each one “is found” and returns to his Creator, the Lord’s emotional reaction can only be described as “Joy.” This is what the writer of Hebrews is getting at when he says, “…Jesus …who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame … “ (Hebrews 12:2).
Lord, I am overwhelmed that You, the Creator of the universe, actually desire a relationship with me! As though I were the only one!
0 Comments