December 6, 2005

Mt 18:12-14 Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”
God will leave the others just to find the one stray and carry them back home. The lamb that is lost is sought at the risk of loss of the whole flock. God loves us all with a whole and undying love and never leaves us lost. There is a tremendous love and comfort in the reading. It makes me feel comforted to know that the arms of God are never far away and God will always seek me if I in my simple foolishness stray. The shepherd image of the Lord and God predates the time of Christ. It is a loving and tender and very real God.