A HEART FOR THE LOST
Matthew 18:12-14 (ESV)
We live in a broken world filled with broken people. In truth, all sinners are broken in one way or another-some more and some less. The truth and good news is that God can only use a broken person because they have “been there” and have “empathy” for the lost and broken world. In Matthew 18, Jesus gives us a blueprint for what and how to live as Christian in a broken world. Let’s get started.
THIS IS WHAT JESUS SAID:
Matthew 18:12-14 (ESV)
“12 What do you think? If a man 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? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my[a] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
JESUS’ BLUEPRINT
Let’s now break down the words of Jesus to better understand His blueprint for our being used by God to reach a lost and broken world.
1) (Verse 12) Jesus opens with saying,
“What do you think?”
Why would Jesus open with a question? The answer is to get our attention and to get up to put on our “thinking caps”. Jesus wants us to stop and pay attention.
2) (Verse 12 goes on to say) “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray,…”
Here, Jesus is grabbing our (the reader’s) attention and refocuses our attention on a story. Notice that Jesus uses “story” to teach us. In this story or scenario, Jesus gives the hypothetical regarding a man who has 100 sheep, and one and ONLY one of them goes astray and get’s lost. Jesus has our attention and we are thinking about what a shepherd who has 100 sheep is to do when just one of them get’s lost. Does he rest on a good track record of still retaining 99? Does he call his family or friends to help him? What does he do?
3) (Continuing on Verse 12) Jesus gives a second hypothetical or scenario as to what the shepard may do. This seems to indicate what the shepherd SHOULD do:
“Does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?”
5) (Before Jesus gives the answer, in verse 13 He gives us but a another hypothetical, stating):
“And IF he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.”
In other words, “IF” he finds the lost sheep, then this is what will happen. This is the centerpiece and the hinge of the entire parable. Everyone who reads this parable is relieved, excited and is very happy that the shephard found the one in a hundred lost sheep! But we are not sheep, so what exactly is Jesus telling us? In verse 14, Jesus goes not to connect the dots and tell us the meaning of the parable and the point of His message.
7) (Verse 14) gives us the answer and central point of Jesus’ lesson, saying:
“So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
SO WHAT?
First, we are all shepherds (small “s”) and God is the Ultimate Shepherd (capital “S”). Second, we are all called to not stay in the church pew with the 99 after church. Instead, we are to go out into all the and make disciples in our lost world (Matthew 28).
We are all called to share our faith with those in our lost and broken world. And we are all called to do this with an attitude that we want what God wants…that none should parish. And this is God’s blueprint provide to us by Jesus Himself a blueprint for what and how to live as Christians in our broken world. So, what are we waiting for. Let’s get started.