In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” According to Luke's gospel, this is the mission of Jesus. The parables in today's lesson teach us more about Jesus' work of seeking and saving the lost.
The first parable tells of a shepherd who has a hundred sheep. One gets lost, and the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes in search of the one lost one. When he finds it, he hoists it up on his shoulders and brings it back to the flock. Then he calls for rejoicing because the lost one is found. Likewise, Jesus says, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
I have never spent time with sheep, but I know that if a young pig gets loose, that pig can wander pretty far afield. What is more, that pig will do its best to run away from you, and pigs can be hard to catch. You either have to corner it or make it get itself stuck someplace before you can catch it and bring it back to where it should be. Furthermore, pigs are pretty good at letting their curiosity lead them astray, even to jump out of the nose of a trailer seven feet off the ground. But nevertheless, each pig must be caught and accounted for.
How much are we like that in our own ways! The prophet Isaiah says, “We have wandered, every one to his own way.” Lest you be fooled, there is no one righteous in himself who does not need to repent. Every one of us has gone astray. Our curiosity leads us to explore other forms of “spirituality”. Our laziness leads us to stay in bed on Sunday mornings. Our self-centeredness leads us to ignore the wisdom of others. Our preoccupation with the ways of the world leads us to get caught up in the troubles of this life. And so we each wander off into our own little worlds, and get stuck between our special, particular rock and hard place. Then, like a sheep wounded and trapped, we are stuck there, unable to find our way back to the shepherd, and defenseless against the wolves that come to devour us. Moreover, we are so blinded and disoriented that we fail to see the dangers encircling us.
However, do not be fooled. The devourer is surely coming upon those trapped in the darkness. St. Peter instructs us, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Have no delusions, the devil is out to get you. He would like nothing better than to catch you unawares, corner you into a trap of your own setting, and devour you body and soul. Lord, have mercy!
But along comes the Great Shepherd of the sheep! He foists the burden upon His shoulders. He marches out of the darkness back to the safety of the fold, carrying the lost and wounded one all the way. He suffers for the sake of that lost sheep, in order to bring that sheep into the fold. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd, has come to us in our darkness and deep distress! He has found us in our lost and trapped state. He has borne our sorrows and shouldered the weight of our sin and guilt. He has carried us through the way of the cross to the fold of His holy Church. By His blood shed on the cross, Jesus has unlocked the door of the fold and brought us into His Kingdom. And once we have entered, there is great rejoicing for the newborn soul. The ranks of angels in heaven sing out, and the company of heaven echoes the chorus, resounding through heaven with the voices of the faithful, as we will soon sing, “We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord!” All because one more has been added to the number of the faithful in the Kingdom of God!
Then, from within the household of God, from within the holy ark of Christendom shines forth the light that leads us to that precious coin. As the woman lit her lamp and cast its light throughout the house in search of the precious coin, so our holy mother Church casts the wondrous radiance of the Word of God over us. That light which pierces our darkness is the pure preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Holy Sacraments according to our Lord's command. Bathed in that light, we find the precious treasure – that is, we find Christ, and Him crucified and risen for our salvation.
But that searching for Christ is something which continues throughout our lives. We are ever seeking to Him where He has promised to be found, in the places where He has promised to give His Gifts. In this assembly, among your fellow saints here on earth and the host of saints in glory, here you find the Gifts of God for the people of God. Here, the light of Christ shines, so that you may see the way to heaven. Here, the light of Christ shines in Word and Sacrament. Here, the glorious message of salvation blazes forth, illuminating the darkness and showing us the wonders of God's love for each of us.
May we never lose sight, but always seek Him who gives us all good gifts in body and soul.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Rev. Ryan McDermott
St. Peter Lutheran Church
Elma, IA
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