“There is nothing more that I can do for you”. As the words rolled off my tongue they left an unmistakable bitter aftertaste. I was angry after what he had done, it was not the first time. I had invested so much of my time and energy reaching out to, praying for, and encouraging him. But a line was crossed, and with my composure decimated the words simply poured out.
I have spend a number of years thinking about that day. Was I justified? Had he gone too far? Had I overreacted? And of course, “What would Jesus do?” Perhaps the famed 90’s bracelet can be instructive. Luke’s Gospel account records Jesus telling us exactly how he responds to the lost causes of culture.
Exhibiting their regular form, the Pharisees and scribes were bellyaching about Jesus and his activities. Specifically, Jesus’ proclivity for rubbing elbows with tax collectors and sinners. He would eat, speak, and joke with them. I have always found it interesting that Luke would refer to the undesirables in this two-fold manner, sinners and tax collectors — as thought tax collectors were so heinous they warranted this specific distinction. Jesus know exactly what they were barking about and responded…
“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)
Traditionally, when reading this passage I have focused on the usual things; lost sheep, the concern of the shepherd, the celebration of its recovery. Yet, until recently it seems that I may have erroneously overlooked a key detail in the text. “What about the 99?” The shepherd “left them in the wilderness”. Moreover, after finding the lost sheep, he scandalously returned home, not to the sheep! What kind of shepherd would jilt an entire flock in order to find one lost, and probably dead sheep? One might suggest that this is the worst kind of shepherd; however, I would like to suggest that he may very well be the best.
Two lessons can be garnered from Jesus’ words, lessons about the nature of the flock and the nature of the shepherd. First, the flock should follow the shepherd. William Booth, founder of the Salvation army once recounted a well known Vision of the Lost. Booth saw a raging sea which seemed to swallow poor lost people in its waves. He noted that some had found refuge by taking hold of a great rock which protruded from the depths of the sea. It was a safe place, a rock of salvation. Near the end of his vision, Booth noted that those who had been saved by clinging to the rock cried out to Jesus, longing for him to come to them, and help them. Meanwhile, Jesus was in the midst of the raging sea, calling for them to come and help him save the lost and dying people tossed by its waves. The nature of the flock should be to follow the shepherd and share in his passion; rather then becoming complacent in the field, stuffing their mouths and filling their bellies. We should remember that the pasture only becomes the wilderness, when the shepherd is no longer present.
The second lesson concerns the nature of the shepherd. One might suggest the shepherd acted in reckless abandon, while others might suggest passionate zeal. Regardless of the thesaurus one uses to describe it, the shepherd acted in hesed. Hesed is a Hebrew term which cannot be translated with anything less than an English paragraph. He acted in faithfulness, mercy, grace, love, benevolence, kindness, etc… The lost sheep deserved his lot. Pursuing him would cost the shepherd his flock and livelihood. As far as we know there was nothing special about the lost sheep, nothing that would warrant such a great cost. So, why would the shepherd pursue him? Its his nature. He is not willing that even one would be lost. Jesus’ nature is such that he will pursue the lost causes of culture regardless of the cost. Not even his own death will deter Him from retrieving his precious sheep.
“There is nothing more that I can do for you.” I am not certain I will ever have an opportunity redeem those dreadful words. Nevertheless, I am certain that memory of them will never cease echoing in my thoughts. Jesus is at this present moment redeeming me with these words. With every face I see and lost cause I encounter, he reminds me of those vacuous words, and substitutes his “lost sheep” in their place. Everyone is worth pursuing with passionate zeal. In the eyes of God, there is no sheep that is not a beloved sheep. We must go where He is and love as he loved, this is our way, our life, our all.
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