scripture
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 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.
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
observation
The Pharisees were always confused about Jesus, didn’t he know that associating with the wrong people would ruin his chances of fulfilling all the requirements of the law, you know the law that they had been adding more and more rules to, everybody was being held in bondage because of these guys.
Jesus made his reason for being here quite clear, he was here to be around the “sinners,” and his reason for doing so was so that he could find a lost “sheep,” he wasn’t interested in hanging out with the religious people, he came to search every street corner, highway and ditch until he finds the lost sheep.
Finding the lost is job number one for Jesus and when the lost become found there is a great celebration:
I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
application
There are too many Pharisees even today, people that are afraid to be around those sinners that might tarnish their reputation, but if we are going to be like Jesus then we cannot stay away from those "sinners."
prayer
Help us to accept the challenge to go to where people are that need you the most. Help us to get off our pew and get out there looking for lost sheep.
