Thoughts for the Day

Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’

So he told them this parable: ‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

One of our all time favourite parables is the Parable of the Lost Sheep told by Luke and Matthew (18.10-14) in their Gospels. Jesus obviously told these parables to address different situations, for Matthew mentions it to welcome children while Luke refers to it to welcome sinners into God's Kingdom. This parable reminded me of a story by Anthony de Mello, in his book 'The Song of the Bird'. He says the following:

'A sheep found a hole in the fence and crept through it. He wandered far and lost his way back. Then he realised that he was being followed by a wolf. He ran and ran, but the wolf kept chasing him, until the shepherd came and rescued him and carried him lovingly back to the fold.

In spite of everyone's urgings to the contrary, the shepherd refused to nail up the hole in the fence.'

Are you somewhat bemused now? Why on earth would a shepherd allow his sheep an escape route? Well for a start in parables we cannot always apply every fact to real life. So what does it mean? Well in the original parable and also in De Mello's modern one, God is the Shepherd and we sinners are the sheep. We can stay safe in God's fold, but we can choose to escape His protection and go our own way in the world. God allows us to do this because we have freedom of will. However, when life becomes dangerous and we cry to God for help, He will rescue us. But the hole in the fence is left open for it is our choice to stay with God.

Lord God,
when we choose to go our own way,
and ignore Your wishes,
rescue us from our disastrous course,
and bring us back to You.
When things go wrong,
forgive us our mistakes,
and keep us safe.
Amen.