Sometimes we just need assurance, comfort, or hope. Sometimes we just need someone to say that it’s going to be alright. Sometimes we just need someone to put their arm around us and say, “I love you.” This parable in Luke 15 – the parable of the lost sheep – should be that assurance, comfort, and hope for each of us, especially as we think about that prodigal one. This parable speaks of a GREAT truth… Jesus keeps pursuing our loved ones. And He pursues them with a passion. This parable brought my heart back from the pit of despair this morning as I thought about my loved ones. A prodigal can be a loved one who is estranged from the family, a child who has left the fold, or a grandchild who is living a life of sin. I believe we all have those prodigals in our family.
This story in Luke 15 tells us that nothing will stop Jesus. In fact, Cory Asbury sings of this in his song, Reckless Love: Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. It chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine… There’s no shadow You won’t light up, mountain You won’t climb up, coming after me. There’s no wall You won’t kick down, lie You won’t tear down, coming after me. We often think of reckless as unconcerned about the consequences of an action, careless. But Cory Asbury refers to God’s love as “reckless” because it is not held back by our failings or inadequacies. It is all-encompassing, unrelenting, and all-consuming.
A loved one may have fallen for Satan’s lies, has been carried away by deception, or adopted some cultural ideology. They may be so far gone that you think there is no way they will ever come back. This is very common in our modern world. A friend told me that the son of her neighbors walked away from their close-knit family because of political differences. It’s so disheartening because he is their only child and they have many health issues. You may be able to relate. But this parable says that our Good Shepherd is pursuing our prodigals with a passion and He won’t stop no matter how fast they run or where they go or what they’re doing.
This truth is amazing, but what makes it even better is that when Jesus finds them, He will JOYFULLY carry them home on His shoulders. NO condemnation! NO rebuke! NO scolding. Just pure joy. This parable also describes the scene in heaven (Luke 15:7) when a lost sinner comes home… GREAT rejoicing. In other words, heaven has a party. So, keep your head up, keep praying, and keep believing. In His timing, your loved one will be found. And if you need to, recite Luke 15 out loud. Hope this encourages you today.