Matthew 18:11 – THE LOST THING
Sometimes we discover that not everything fits into the secure boxes in which our perspectives are housed. Our spiritual curiosity is not simply drawn to those things that are easily explained but mostly to those things that defy conformity.
The dull colour palette of our everyday existence with signs that seek to direct us away from exploring anything that doesn’t line up and run on the rails, prevents us from exploring anything that challenges the design, that which is different to the unboxed, unfettered and unexplainable in the world around us, but it is waiting to be explored by those fearless enough to take a step of faith.
In a city signposted, clear and functional, all meaning is predefined and presumed. What if we know we just don’t fit into this world of predetermined answers?
The story of the Lost Sheep, explores our inner world and is an invitation for each of us to see that we have lost that which is extraordinary, that which is beyond explanation. It is an invitation to find a way back home, to a place for the expression and fulfilment of our human spirit, to discover our inner journey. So here are just a few random thoughts on this brilliant story…
Matthew 18:11 – THE LOST
Jesus came to save those who are LOST (Matthew 18:11, Luke 19:10) whatever that means. A man in his 90’s recently asked me “Who are those who are lost? Save them from what?” Because whatever lost means, Jesus came to save them from it, so it must be important. It’s a good question.
What does it mean to be lost and for that matter what does it mean to be found?
LOST FRIENDSHIP
I am lost when I do not have a relationship with God. I am found when that friendship, broken by Adam's sin, is restored. Romans 5:10-11 (NLT) says “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”
LOST LIFE
I am lost when I am unable to enjoy what life offers. I am found when I am able to live as God intends. Jesus said, “The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV)
LOST BATTLE
I am lost when I am overcome by the battles of life. I am found when I am born again. 1 John 5:4 (NIV) says “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
LOST TIME
I am lost when I am wasting time and have no real meaning in my life. I am found when I discover God's purpose for my life. Romans 8:28 (NLT) “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Ephesians 5:15-17 NLT says, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity (or redeem the time) in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
LOST SOUL
I am lost when my mind, emotions and will do not line up with God’s purpose for my life. To be found, in Matthew 16:24-26 (NLT) Jesus says, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
LOST CAUSE
I am lost when I am fighting for a lost cause without God and clearly need to change allegiances. Colossians 2:8-10 (NLT) “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”
LOST IN MY OWN WORLD
I am lost when I neglect all other influence in my life; lost in the foci of my own pursuits. The Bible encourages us not to be so absorbed in our own pursuits that we miss God’s purposes for us. Hebrews 12:2 (NLT) says to run the race “by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
LOST IN A CROWD
I am lost when I feel so small in the world that I am unnoticed and my contribution seems insignificant. Jesus wants to show you that you are valued by God and can make an eternal difference. John 3:16 (NLT) “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” In Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) the Lord says, “For I know the plans I have for you, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
LOST IN A FOG
I am lost when there’s a fog that clouds my thinking and a darkness that makes it hard to find my way in life. In John 8:12 (NLT) Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” And in John 14:6 (NLT) Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”
LOST GENERATION
I am lost when I am part of a generation that is disillusioned by the world and without hope for the future. Hebrews 6:18-19 (NLT) says “we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.” In Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) the Lord says, “For I know the plans I have for you, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
LOST AT SEA
I am lost when I have a sense of sinking in life or being overwhelmed. In Isaiah 43:2-3 (NLT) God promises to those who believe “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, … your Savior.”
LOST THE RACE
I am lost when I feel I am last in the contest or competition of life’s race. 1 Corinthians 9:24-26 (NLT) says “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step …”
LOST LIVELIHOOD
I am lost when I am sitting in the ashes of a burnt-out life. In Isaiah 61:3-4 (NLT), God’s promise to His people is that “… He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair …”
LOST FOOTING
I am lost when I have lost my footing spiritually. Romans 3:10-31 (NLT) says “No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one … For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. … God declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.”
The lost person is described by the Bible as being dead spiritually, separate from God. That person is in danger of being lost to an eternity without God. But that is not what God desires for our lives. 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT) says “The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
SURE FOUND-ATION
In the context of Matthew 18 and Luke 19 we are not to look down on them or despise those who have found faith in Christ because God loves them enough to send His own Son to die on a Cross for their sins so that they can be forgiven and live as God intended, here and in eternity. They had lost their footing but now they have a strong found-ation on which to stand in Christ.
Matthew 18:11-14 – DOES IT REALLY MATTER?
Matthew 18:12-14 (NLT) “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”
The owner/shepherd still has the ninety-nine. Does it really matter to lose one sheep? I guess it matters to the lost sheep. Then again sometimes a lost sheep won’t even realise it is lost until it is too late. Sheep can be stupid at times.
But who are those who wander away in this parable? Isaiah 53:6 (NIV) answers that question by saying “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…” What was I saying about being stupid?
In the context of Matthew 18, the Lost Sheep is someone who has become positive to the things of God and is a new follower of Christ. Jesus says not to look down on them or despise them, because they are loved by God. They are part of His flock. They wandered away but now they are found.
It’s not so unusual to think of God as an Owner/Shepherd. The profile fits Him well.
HE IS AWARE OF THOSE WHO ARE LOST
Most owner/shepherds in the time when this was written in Israel knew their sheep by name, so they were aware of which one was missing. They knew each characteristic of their sheep. The sheep also knew the voice of the Shepherd and followed.
HE CARES FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST
This is a parable. The key theme – God cares for, knows and seeks for His lost sheep. He seeks every person individually, patiently and relentlessly.
2 Peter 3:9 (NLT) says “The Lord … does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
God loves the world (John 3:16) but He also loves us individually. One sheep in the flock. One face in the crowd. God wants to have a relationship with each one of us. He knows each sheep and seeks each sheep that strays.
The Shepherd doesn’t wait for us to be ready to come home. He makes the first move. 1 John 4:19 (KJV) says, “We love Him, because He first loved us.”
HE TRACKS AND PROTECTS LOST SHEEP
In Israel when this parable was told, sheep could easily get lost in the rugged terrain and shepherds became experts at tracking lost sheep, protecting them from wild animals such as wolves or lions, and caring for the wounded wanderers. Each sheep was important.
We were all designed to be part of God’s flock, and having wandered off, it is good to know that there is the potential to be found by Him.
Being positive to the message of Christ leaves tracks for God to follow, but if you listen, you will hear the voice of the Shepherd.
In John 10:27-30 (NLT) Jesus says, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for my Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
HE DOES NOT PUNISH THOSE WHO ARE FOUND
This shows the difference between Jesus and the spiritual leaders of Israel. The Scribes and Pharisees didn’t care for their people. If someone wandered away spiritually or morally, they were condemned, punished or expelled, rather than brought back into the fold and cared for.
If God’s lost sheep are found, there are no beatings. No punishments. He seeks us out and does everything to bring us back to the fold.
John 3:16 (NLT) says “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” Being lost is a punishment in itself until we are saved.
HE SAVES AND CELEBRATES THOSE WHO ARE FOUND
Matthew 18:14 ends by emphasizing being found. It is not God’s will that anyone be lost but that all who have become positive to God are saved from certain destruction. Being lost carries with it implications of being injured, wounded or of certain disaster if they were not saved, and so it is used to describe death and hell or eternity without God. God cares. Christ saves, and all of heaven celebrates when those who were lost are now found (Luke 15:10).
If there are ninety-nine who are saved, does it really matter that one is lost? It matters to the sheep and fortunately also to the Shepherd. He seeks you and calls your name.
Matthew 18:11-14 – SAVE ME!
Matthew 18:12-14 (NLT) “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”
God lost the human race. God lost their love, worship and friendship. Romans 3:10-12 (NLT) says “No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” All we like sheep have gone astray.
He hasn’t stopped loving us or seeking after us. He sent His Son to save us. But what does that mean? The Bible unfolds that message of being saved …
1. CHRIST CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE ME
Matthew 18:14 (NLT) says, “In the same way, it is not My heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”
Romans 10:13 (NLT) says “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
2. CHRIST IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAME TO SAVE ME
In John 14:6 (NLT) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me”. No-one else came to save us.
3. CHRIST CAME TO SAVE SINNERS
Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NLT), “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to SAVE SINNERS’—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of His great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life.”
God loves to forgive. God does not approve of or condone the sin, but He loves the sinner and extends His grace to anyone who becomes positive to the message of Christ.
4. CHRIST CAME TO SAVE ME FROM MY SINS
In Matthew 1:21 (NLT) an angel spoke to Joseph about the birth of Jesus, “And she (Mary) will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.”
5. CHRIST CAME TO FORGIVE ME
Acts 10:43 (NLT) says “…everyone who believes in Him (Jesus) will have their SINS FORGIVEN through His Name.”
6. CHRIST CAME TO SAVE ME FROM JUDGEMENT AND ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD
John 3:17-18 (NLT) “… God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to SAVE the world through Him. “There is NO JUDGMENT AGAINST ANYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”
In John 12:46-48 (NLT) Jesus said again “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear Me but don’t obey Me, for I have come to SAVE THE WORLD AND NOT TO JUDGE IT. But all who reject Me and My message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.”
Being positive to the message of Christ leaves tracks for God to follow. The Shepherd searches for them and finds us.
Why does God seek us? Because He does not want us to be lost, devastated. This is an example we can all follow concerning anyone who is positive towards the things of God. This is a prime reason for not looking down on or despising these new followers of Christ. They are loved by God and they have become positive towards Christ, and they have come into relationship with God. They are part of His flock.
Followers of Christ share with God in seeking and protecting people who are positive towards the things of God, not looking down on them or despising them because of their past. The world is full of those who are lost and need to be found. We pursue them because this is the example of God Himself. 1 John 5:1 (NLT) says “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children, too.”
John Calvin said, “It is in the highest degree unreasonable that we should disdainfully reject those whom the Son of God has so highly esteemed.” John 3:16 (NLT) agrees. It says, “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” The invitation is to believe in Him who came to save us.
