12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:12-14)
Here we see that the shepherd doesn’t want to lose any sheep. If one sheep is lost, He will go to the hills to look for the sheep. Every sheep is precious for the shepherd. When the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he rejoices. Here it says that the heavenly Father doesn’t want any of these little ones to perish, heavenly Father, Lord Jesus don’t want him to be lost, but want to find him back. Who is the little one here refer to?
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:10)
Who is the little one? it refers to the Christian. He is the Lord’s sheep and is lost later. The shepherd does not want the sheep to be lost. The heavenly Father does not want to lose one of the little ones and wants to find him back. Below we will see that when we haven’t believed in the Lord, we were all like sheep gone astray, and each of us walked in our own way. We were also lost sheep when we haven’t believed in the Lord.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he 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. (Luke 15:1-7)
Lord Jesus says “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” When a sheep is lost. He will look for it until he finds it. When he finds it, he will rejoice. When a sinner repents, heaven will rejoice for him. Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd has redeemed us. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, and Lord Jesus died on the cross to save the world.
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.(1 Peter 2:25)
When we haven’t believed in the Lord, we all went astray like sheep, and we all went our own way, without Lord Jesus as our shepherd in our lives, a sheep without a shepherd is dangerous, only when the sheep is together with the shepherd, he will be protected by the shepherd. The shepherd will make the sheep lie down in green pastures, and leads the sheep beside quiet waters,
May God bless you and your family 🙏😀💝
