Lost Sheep

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.   Luke 15:1-7

walking along the ocean shore,

the sound of crashing waves,

a cool breeze blowing in my face,

I realize we are all living on borrowed time,

no matter how hard we work,

no matter how much effort we put forth,

it is never quite good enough,

it is never quite hard enough,

none of us has what it takes,

none of us can pay the cost,

we are all faking it, we are all alienated,

we have all fallen short,

we are all without defense,

we all deserve the punishment

of liars and cheats, murderers and rapists,

swindlers and thieves;

we are all guilty;

inside we are running from the truth,

not concerned with right or wrong,

only the opinion of others,

how others see our efforts and toils,

how others judge our actions and decisions,

we delude and deceive ourselves into

thinking we can measure success by

money and wealth;

when we have enough money and food,

we pat ourselves on the back,

holding up self-made scorecards,

‘look at me’ I made the right choices,

I made the right decisions,

I am successful, I deserve respect

I have earned the right to retire

and spend all day walking the beach;

I am somebody;

the truth is we are all nobody

without the grace of the One who created us,

nobody without the sacrifice of the One

who suffered and died to let us know we do matter,

that we were worth the torture and pain,

that in heaven there is more rejoicing over one sinner

who repents than over ninety nine righteous persons

who do not need to repent.

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