[18:1] At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
[2] He called a little child and had him stand among them. [3] And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
[5] “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. [6] But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
[7] “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! [8] If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. [9] And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
[10] “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.*
[12] “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? [13] And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. [14] In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
[2] He called a little child and had him stand among them. [3] And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
[5] “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. [6] But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
[7] “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! [8] If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. [9] And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
[10] “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.*
[12] “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? [13] And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. [14] In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
I always love the story Jesus gives of the lost sheep. He tells the story of great love for the lost one.
ReplyDeleteFor years I read this, but a couple years ago I noticed something. He left the 99 on the Hill, not in the fold. He left them in the field, not in the barn. He left them in the open, not in the shelter of the home.
Wow! On the hill was was David killed the bear. It was out on the hills that David killed the lion. Out on the hill was in the wild, the wilderness. Out on the hill was where danger was. The Shepard was more concerned with the lost one than the safety of the found 99.
I wonder today, in how many churches, is the focus, the setting, the finances, more about the safety of the 99, than the search for the lost one?