We Get To …
So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! ” Luke 15:3-7
This year, a legendary baseball player was inducted into the Hall of Fame. His career statistics were exceptional, surpassing even those of many other Hall of Famers, making his induction almost certain. Out of 394 voters, all but one voted for him, leaving him just one vote shy of becoming only the second player ever to be unanimously elected.
When asked about not receiving a unanimous vote, the player could have expressed disappointment or criticized the single dissenting voter. Instead, he responded with remarkable class and humility. He said:
“This is a very special moment. I was able to receive many votes from the writers, and [I'm] grateful for them, but there's one writer that I wasn't able to get a vote from. I would like to invite him over to my house and we'll have a drink together and we'll have a good chat."
Having read that, reflected on the story of the shepherd and the lost sheep. For the baseball player, he appreciated all the votes he received but was particularly focused on connecting with the one writer who didn’t vote for him. This parallels how God’s love is so profound that He seeks out those who have lost their way, rather than just those who are already saved. In this narrative, we might wonder where we fit in. Perhaps the lesson is that we often focus too much on what benefits us personally, rather than considering what is best for the community as a whole.
To have the heart of God means valuing the joy of others as a greater reward than our own. The Parable of the Lost Sheep illustrates God’s relentless pursuit of those who have lost their way. How we interpret this story reveals much about our own hearts. Do we focus on the joy of the lost being found, or do we dwell on the fact that it’s not about us?
There is an analogy of how to discern our desires from God’s desires. Our wants are often inward-focused, like a closed fist holding onto something we already possess. We are holding on to something that we already have. God’s mindset is one of welcoming and generosity. Thus, our hands are open not only to represent His stance but also our openness to His way and teachings. When our hands are open, we not only mirror God’s stance but also demonstrate our openness to His ways and teachings.
Being a follower of God means not being preoccupied with what He will do for us, because He has already done so much, and we trust He will continue to do what is right for us. Not necessarily what we want. With an open stance, our focus naturally shifts to the things that bring God joy.
When our friend’s daughter wins a competition or they get a significant job promotion, we share in their excitement as if it is our own. Thus, like the story of the baseball player, it is not about the personal accolades of the many saved. It is about the pursuit of the one who is found. That is what God asks of us in this parable.
We are blessed beyond what we realize. An interviewer asked a coach about his best player having to dealing with criticism. The coach corrected the interviewer saying, “He gets to,” noting that it is a privilege to be so gifted and blessed that he ‘gets to’ deal with this. Being saved and sharing is not a ‘have to’ proposition. It is a ‘gets to’ honor that we have humbly been given. Let us rejoice in our position in the Kingdom of God and celebrate the pursuit of God when the one lamb makes it back home! What situation do you find yourself focusing on you when it should be on others? Do you see the privilege when you get to share the joy God delivers with others? My prayer is we embrace the privilege of sharing God's love and joy with open arms, always remembering that true fulfillment comes not from seeking our own accolades, but from celebrating the return of the lost and the blessings we 'get to' experience together in His Kingdom. Amen.