A Moment Aside for 23 October 2020

 

A Moment Aside ---- 23 October 2020

     What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.  So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. 

(Matthew 18:12-14)

     The parable of the lost sheep may seem ridiculous to us. In any business, a 1% loss would be considered “overhead” and an acceptable “cost of doing business.” Then to abandon 99 sheep to search for one would be a dangerous path to follow and the height of folly. While the shepherd was out looking, the 99 could wander off, or they might be attacked by wolves, or they might be stolen by some other unscrupulous shepherds working in the same area. If there were hired shepherds left in charge, they might wander off themselves or desert the flock ‘way out there somewhere.

     Of course, Jesus is not discussing business or shepherding as a career. He is speaking again about the Kingdom of God and what that would be like.

     One of the other things about this parable is the reality of how we look at it. We could look at it from the vantage point of an observer. Then we might wonder about the wisdom of not accepting a 1% loss in product. We couldn’t imagine some coffee shop being upset if one coffee a day were dropped or spoiled. That sort of loss might be acceptable and even expected. But the parable is not set up to be told to neutral observers.

     If we take the view point of one of the 99 sheep left behind to fend for themselves or left behind in the care of some hired hand who has no investment in the herd as a whole. We might be scared, like the sheep who are herded by Border Collies in some display at at fair. (Well, they seem to me to be scared.) We might be angry and annoyed or ever jealous that the shepherd would spend so much time and energy on one lost critter. Oddly enough, these feelings are human feelings applied to sheep; who knows how sheep might feel about such things! We’re applying human emotions and motivations to parable animals. But that’s what we should do.

     Lastly, if we take the role of the lone lost sheep… that makes all the difference, doesn’t it? Were we lost, lonely, hungry, scared, wouldn’t we want the trusted shepherd to find us? If we apply human emotions again, wouldn’t we find ourselves amazed and comforted by the concern of that shepherd? This is the view point that tells us the REAL story of the parable. Will the Good Shepherd take the time and trouble to find us? Are we considered worth the time and effort? Will he continue to find us when we’re lost?

      Well, yes. That’s the point of the parable. The answer is “Yes!”