Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
The Joy of the Shepherd: God’s Love for the Lost
In today’s Gospel from Luke 15:1-10, we hear two parables that reveal the very heart of God: the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin. Jesus tells us that when one sinner repents, there is more rejoicing in heaven than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need repentance. This is a powerful window into the mercy and love of our Lord.
You might wonder, as many have, whether any shepherd would actually leave ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness to go in search of one that is lost. From a human point of view, it may seem impractical or even foolish. Why risk the safety of the majority for the sake of one? But Jesus is not speaking merely about human logic; He is revealing the divine logic of love.
St. Gregory the Great, one of the great Fathers of the Church, once reflected on this passage and said, ‘He has put aside the ninety-nine sheep, that is, the angels, and has come to seek the one sheep that was lost — mankind.’ In this way, the parable is not just about one lost soul, but about all of humanity. Christ, the Good Shepherd, left the glory of heaven to seek us, to find us, and to carry us home on His shoulders.
The love of God is not about efficiency; it is about intimacy. He knows each of us by name. To Him, no one is expendable. Each soul is of infinite value. And so, yes, the Good Shepherd does leave the ninety-nine, not because they are unimportant, but because the lost one is in danger, and love compels Him to act.
We also see the joy of God in these parables. When the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he rejoices. When the woman finds her lost coin, she calls her friends to celebrate. This is the joy of heaven when a sinner turns back to God. It reminds us that no matter how far we stray, we are never beyond the reach of God’s mercy.
As we reflect on these parables, let us ask ourselves: Do we share in the Shepherd’s concern for the lost? Are we willing to go out of our way to bring back those who have strayed? Do we rejoice when others return to the faith, or do we judge them?
Let us imitate the heart of Christ, who seeks, who saves, and who rejoices. May we never grow tired of returning to Him when we are lost, and may we never cease to help others find their way back to His loving embrace.