The Lost Sheep

“Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, ‘Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 10:1, 5-6)

Jesus came for all mankind. He came for the gentiles and the Jews; the pagans and the Samaritans. But in today’s gospel he is instructing his disciples to focus on the lost sheep of Israel. 

God sometimes asks the same of us. He wants us to focus on those in our own family who have strayed from the Church and to reach out to them. Maybe it is a sibling, a spouse or a child; or it may be our parents. We need to pray for them daily and provide opportunities for them to voice what is on their heart. Maybe they feel that God abandoned them at some point in their life. Maybe they feel shunned by the church because they are divorced or had a bad experience in confession with a priest who was judgmental instead of merciful. The church is made up of sinners and we sometimes do hurtful things to one another. But as disciples we must present the divine, unchanging Truth to each person in such a way as to make it understood and loved. ~ Elizabeth Lesuer

We hear many references to sheep in scripture, especially lost sheep. In Matthew’s Parable of the Lost Sheep, the question is asked. “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” (18:12-14)

There are so many lost sheep. Our world is full of sin, pain, hatred and death. At times the burdens of this life seem too great to bear. Often, it is during times like these that people turn away from God. But we must continue to be a hopeful people and trust in His promise. Others look to those that claim to be Christian especially during trials. They look to see if we remain hopeful and trust in God even when things look hopeless. Do we offer everything to God in prayer or do we become bitter and angry when we are faced with horrible circumstances? Do we continue to praise Him in the storm? Our life is our witness to others and how we respond to the circumstances in our life can help draw others closer to Christ or lead them further astray.  There is much rejoicing when one of the lost sheep is found and brought home.  Dear Lord, help me to lead other to you just as others led me back to you when I was so lost. I want others to know the love and mercy that I have experienced upon returning to you with a humble and contrite heart. Amen.