“Jesus was a friend of sinners not because he winked at sin, ignored sin, or enjoyed light-hearted revelry with those engaged in immorality. Jesus was a friend of sinners in that he came to save sinners …. The message of the Kingdom of God requires repentance—changing and turning around a life—to obedience and worship of God in spirit and truth, trusting in His promises of life to come. Christ came preaching this challenge to "repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). That challenge is clearly before you each and every day………God will search for you until He finds you. He is unrelenting…….. The challenge is before you in the here and now………. The question is, will you be found?”

Gospel Text: (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.”

 

Reflect, today, upon you being that one lost sheep.  Being “lost” in our sin is not a pleasant experience.  Sin brings fear, despair, confusion, anger and the like.  But if we can turn our eyes to the Good Shepherd in the midst of our sinfulness, we will regain hope.  We will regain hope that our God cares for us so much that He will never stop searching for us.  And when He finds us, His heart will be filled with the greatest joy!