What do you think? If someone has 100 sheep, and 1 of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray (Matthew 18:12-13, slightly changed from CSB).
I’ve been considering this story lately. Sometimes in our churches, we have people who attend for a while, then drift away. Some may even be members, and then suddenly they aren’t there anymore. How do we respond to these? Do we even notice their absence? Do we shrug and think, “Oh, well. It’s their choice.” The larger the church, the easier for the “strays” to be lost through the cracks. Is it the pastor’s job to follow up on all these? Or should people in the church be equipped and challenged to follow up on those lingering around the exit gate?
As I think on this parable of Jesus, I see His concern for each individual “sheep” in His flock. We may scoff, “What’s one sheep?” But what if it were one of your children? You wouldn’t say, “I’ve got 7 of the 8 of our kids. Who cares if that last one isn’t found. We’ve got the ones who want to be here.” Right. It’s interesting to note that right before this parable, Jesus talks of becoming like little children, humbling oneself like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. Immediately after this parable is a lesson on how to deal with a brother who has sinned against you. This is followed by another parable dealing on the necessity of forgiving each other.
John 10 has a lot more to say about sheep. The Good Shepherd is willing to lay down His life for the sheep, but hired hands will run at the first sign of difficulty.
What about me? Do I notice who is attending Sunday services and who has missed one recently? Am I willing to pursue a sister in Christ who has maybe been offended over something done to her? Should I feel responsible to give her a call, asking if she’s okay or needs something? Having smaller groups within our church body can help us keep on top of these things. I don’t always notice if one person is missing from our group in a good-sized church, but when one lady is missing from our Bible study, if I haven’t heard why, I can always follow up on her.
Why don’t we follow up? Maybe we’re scared that people will feel judged. As if we’re telling them, “Hey! Why were you absent, you slacker!” Hopefully, our attitude will be better than that! Recently, the small group of a friend missed an opportunity along these lines. My friend CJ was very sick and could have used some help (getting groceries, being checked on, being noticed). Unfortunately, no one reached out to him. Though God used other people in his life to meet his needs, the small group could have pursued him even a little.
So, the next time you notice someone isn’t in your midst, give them a call. Shoot them a text. Pray for them and tell them you did. Ask if they’re okay. See if they want to get together for coffee. Think of how God pursues you when you’re down, when you’re straying or growing indifferent, when you’re bogged down with irritations and frustrations, when you’re feeling unloved. How does God reach down to comfort and encourage you? Find a way to do that to someone else. Go after that 1 on the run. There will be great rejoicing when you catch up to them and they return to the sheepfold with your arm around them.
