The One

No... this isn't a post about Neo or the Matrix :)

Last night in our Small Group we were discussing Jesus as The Shepherd. This was the third session in the study Beginning in Christ Together by LifeTogether.

One of the questions addressed Jesus' heart for the lost sheep in the world. That brought up the story of how the good shepherd will go out into the wilderness and look for the one sheep who is lost and leave the other 99 safely behind. I think most of us (well, those of us who are Christians) can relate to this story. We've all been that one lost sheep. Now, we've been found and we can praise God for that!

Last night really got me thinking. The heart of Jesus is a deep longing for The One, that lost and missing sheep. In fact, in Matthew 18:13 it says that the shepherd is happier when The One found then the other ninety-nine safely at home! Now, if I want my heart to have the same desire as Jesus', then what's my view of The One?? Do I search for the one who has wandered off? Like Jesus, do I have a heart for the Lost One? The Hurting One? The Lonely One? The Hungry One? The Poor One? The Struggling One? The Sick One? The Different One? The Outcast One?

I think that I do... mostly. But it's nowhere near as big as I'd like it to be. My time with the group last night was a great reminder of that. Small groups are so great that way!

My desire is to continue growing that heart muscle! I want it to reflect the love that Jesus has for The One all the time! I wanna be like my Jesus (to quote the Todd Agnew song)... a man always reaching out to the hurting... helping them to become a part of the flock and be under the protection of the Good Shepherd.

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