Develop to Deploy

The parable of the lost sheep, often interpreted as a powerful illustration of God’s relentless pursuit to save the lost, holds another profound truth when we delve deeper into its context. While it’s certainly true that God seeks out those who are lost, and Jesus is clearly communicating God’s “evangelistic” heart for the lost here, this parable is less about how God saves us and more about how God preserves and keeps us once we belong to Him.

In Luke 15:4-7, Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to go after one that is lost. It’s a well known story. Significantly, the sheep was not a stranger to the shepherd; it was already part of his flock. The shepherd’s determination to find the sheep isn’t about acquiring a new sheep per se, but about restoring one that already belongs to him. This shifts the primary focus from an initial act of salvation to an ongoing commitment to preservation.

The beauty of this parable lies in the shepherd’s unwavering commitment to his sheep and this seemingly small interpretational difference unlocks a key pastoral encouragement for God’s people. If you stray, He will pursue you. Even when one wanders off, distracted and lost, the shepherd does not abandon it to its fate. Instead, The Good Shepherd, actively seeks it out, demonstrating that every member of his flock is valuable and worth pursuing, no matter how far they stray. His pursuit of us is not a one-time event but a continual act of grace, ensuring that we remain under His care.

Moreover, the shepherd’s actions show us that our security in God is not based on our ability to stay close to Him but on His ability to keep us close. The lost sheep, unable to find its way back on its own, is entirely dependent on the shepherd to rescue and restore it. This is a comforting reminder that our faith is not sustained by our efforts alone but by God’s faithful preservation.

This is the deeper truth of the parable: the God who saves us is also the God who keeps us, and in that, we find our greatest security.