***
“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine and seek out the one that is lost?” (Mt.18:15).
It’s not the shepherd’s fault that his sheep has wandered off. He didn’t force it into a catapult and launch it over the mountains.
The sheep wandered off on its own!
***
But this separation affected both the sheep and the shepherd.
***
So what does the shepherd do?
He travels over the mountains, through the valleys, into the woods, into the night, not stopping until he finds his sheep.
And when he does, he doesn’t break its legs, preventing it from running off again. He joyfully places the sheep on his shoulders, giving it a free ride home.
***
Like that shepherd and his sheep, how many of us have become separated from someone we love?
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It may have been no fault of our own, but we still bear the responsibility of seeking out the one who is lost.
Maybe it was a heated argument, a death in the family, a bruised ego, or the slow saw of time that broke us apart.
The last thing we should do is sit at home, waiting for the other person to act, because separation affects both parties.
And someone must be the first to act.
***
Jesus urges us to be like the shepherd, not the sheep.
Never stop seeking what is lost until it’s found.
