Today we are reading Luke 15. In this chapter we read about the Parable of the Lost Sheep. “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:1-7 ESV Have you ever been lost? When I lived in Northern Minnesota I decided to explore an area in the Sawtooth Mountains near Lake Superior. Through some miscalculations, I found myself lost in the dark. The temperature was in the teens and I focused on making a shelter and getting a fire going. My mind was entirely consumed with staying alive. Then, late in the night, I was located by a search party. It never occurred to me that someone would come looking for me. It was such a great relief! Jesus encourages us that God is searching for the lost sheep. Who will be His search party? Pastor Tim
