‘ “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! ‘ Matthew 18:12-13

This story has been told over and over, where Jesus leaves the ninety-nine to get the one. It is true, God loves us so much that He sacrificed His son so we could be saved. It’s really fascinating that He would drop everything to ensure our hearts are safely back with Him! There’s some light to shed on the 99 and today, I want to focus on the 99 sheep.

There’s a time when we begin to grow spiritually and understand the love of God, when we become stable and are no longer babes in the faith. At this point we are a part of the 99 sheep, knowing that we go together and we follow our savior Jesus.

The concept is interesting to see that the 99 would be left behind for a period, while God chases after the 1 lost sheep. Leaving that 99 behind happens as they are stable, in community (aka their flock), possibly in a safe space to be left while their lost sheep is looked for.

And when that lost sheep is brought back after being found, knowing that the 99 possess that community to embrace the one back into the flock.

Sometimes in our lives it might seem like we’re in the 99 phase where our savior is gone to seek the one from the flock so we look up and wonder, where are we going? Well, one, God has not left us nor forsaken us, His Spirit is always with us, even when we’re not seeing crazy moves happening. Patience and trusting Him are key here. Knowing, we are not alone, we are in a flock so we are held up by our community, and as we patiently await the return of our Shepherd’s move, we are not following just any random person.

Jesus came down to die for all who were lost and would do that over again for any of the 99 who happens to also separate from the flock. Even with the prodigal’s son’s brother, he saw His father leave the house to go embrace his lost brother and welcome him back into his inheritance and be restored.

The way heaven rejoices, is how we the 99 should and the community we provide would be an extension of the love we received when we were first brought into the flock from our Shepherd and our neighbors.

Today, how can you be an extension of this love?