Luke 15:3-7 NRSVue
3So he told them this parable: 4“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
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Reflection on Luke 15:3-7
Inspiration from 2025-06-27 Daily Prayer
That the Good Shepherd would leave the rest of the flock and go in search of the lost one shows the immense love of the Lord for every soul. In the image of the Sacred Heart shown to St Margaret Mary, the heart is on fire with love for all of us. St Margaret wrote that the Lord had said to her, ‘Behold the heart that has so loved humankind and received in return only coldness and indifference.’ Love always calls for a response. How can I now best respond to his love in my prayer?
Further reflection
This is not the sort of doctrine you learn in business schools. It sounds outlandish, to abandon the well-behaved and spend your energies on the outside chance of rescuing the delinquent 1%. Yet over the centuries these words have inspired good Christians to plug the gaps in social systems, and reach out to those who have drifted into isolation and despair. Common sense urges us to spend ourselves on those who reward our efforts. Jesus worked in another direction: /The healthy have no need of a doctor./