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Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost
September 18, 2024
Dag Hammarskjöld
The Invitatory
The earth is the Lord’s for he made it: O come, let us adore him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Reading: Matthew 18:12-14
What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Meditation: Jo Ann B. Jones
How remarkable, this, the simplest of all the parables of Jesus. The story merely involves a lost sheep and a shepherd in search of the sheep. In the ancient world, sheep were not confined by fences, nor did they have to fend for themselves. They were totally dependent upon the shepherd for protection, feeding, water, shelter and medical care. In fact, sheep could not survive long without a shepherd. Sheep are not very intelligent, prone to wander and unable to find their way home. It was quite easy for them to become lost, particularly given the topography that they inhabited. Their pasture in the hill country was a narrow strip of land with no walls or other barriers that would retain them. Prone to wander, and at risk of falling into gullies and ravines. They might find themselves on a ledge from which they cannot move and being marooned there until they die.
Their helplessness gives rise to the actions and qualities of a good shepherd: leadership, protection, nutrition and hydration. In summary, shepherds were providers, guides, protectors and constant companions. It is only the actions of the shepherd that stand between vitality and total disaster. In some instances there were several shepherds, perhaps two or three, that tended to a flock, so that one shepherd could comfortably leave to find a lost sheep. Shepherds made extraordinary, sacrificial efforts to find a lost sheep, and return it alive to its flock. In the unfortunate event that the sheep had perished, then the shepherd would return its fleece or its bones to prove that the sheep had died.
It is this combination of care, vigilance and devotion that point in some measure to the very fullness of God’s love. That the shepherd is in search of the one sheep, despite the ninety-nine safely together, speaks to God’s love as an individual love. And against all and, often, difficult and threatening odds. God’s love is patient. We human beings do not often suffer fools gladly. We are quick to blame them and move on. God’s love is enduring and nonjudgmental. Indeed, he welcomes the return of one who has strayed. Indeed, just as the shepherd seeks to recover the lost sheep, so God’s love seeks us out. Not content to wait for us to return to him, God seeks out each and every one of us. What a different view from if a sinner came crawling home, seeking God’s forgiveness, what Jesus offers here is his willingness to search for each sinner, not matter the cost to Jesus. And when that sinner is returned, imagine the rejoicing that is part of the love that led Jesus to seek that sinner. Absent are recriminations, grudges, or contempt. Rather this is an occasion of joy. How refreshing. It opens up a space for growth for everyone. Unfortunately, for humans it is common to remember, count and throw up in one’s face, the sins of the past. When God forgives us, the sins are forgotten. There is relief and freedom to grow anew. And finally, in pursuit of even the one lost sheep, we know that God is ready to offer us protection of our life. We may reap a measure of wisdom from this. Love can find a number of expressions - one that softens, one that is protecting, one that imparts wisdom and one that strengthens the weak, purifies the sinner.
For Guidance
O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in the darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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