Doesn't He Leave the Ninety Nine?

Jesus was a master relater. We should understand this on a deep level. He literally came down from the highest height to be with us where we are. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” As such, he could connect extremely high level spiritual concepts to extremely basic ideas. Jesus entire ministry was about laying spiritual truths next to simple earthly truths. His entire ministry is full of these parables. They’re quite powerful—even 2000 years later.

Consider this. Jesus knew that the common person in the first century was well acquainted with farming and pastoral work. That’s why his ministry is laden with references to farming and herding. He refers to himself as the “Good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep” in John 10.11. This is an extremely bold claim to his disciples. Jesus is saying here that he will die for each and everyone of them. We know from what happens later in the gospels that our Savior wasn’t just bluffing when he said what he said in John 10.11 though.

To Jesus, it was common sense that a shepherd would leave his entire flock to go after one missing sheep—no matter how far off it has wandered. If we have a relationship with him, then we know that Jesus would go to the deepest depths to pull us out of the corners we get lost in in this life. He endured rejection, ridicule, immense physical pain and ultimately death all because we wandered away from the fold. The question that Jesus’ example poses to us is this—how far will we go for the one?

It is easy to settle comfortably with the ninety-nine. It is easy to show love to each other. We see each other Sunday in and Sunday out. We know the needs. They’re announced for us. They’re in the bulletin. They’re in emails. They’re real and we are good at helping each other through difficult times. That “one another-ing” should never stop.

Still…how about all those who fit into the “one” category? Is it so that we place so much emphasis on the ninety-nine that we don’t even acknowledge the “one?” Where did Jesus place the emphasis? Some food for thought for us in the ninety-nine.