1 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.
2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
3 So He told them this parable, saying,
4 "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
5 "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
7 "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Jesus goes on to tell the parables of the Lost Coin and of the Prodigal Son. These parables show the genuine heart of God. To Him, it is the utmost joy when a lost soul returns to Him. As that is the heart of our Father, that should be our heart too. Wherever we are, whether at school, at home, or in the Bahamas, we should constantly be looking for those lost sheep. If we truly had the same heart as our Father, we would be out looking for the lost 24/7. But sadly, that isn't the case. To tell the truth, I tend to forget that heart very often. I get caught up with the busy-ness of my life that I push those convictions aside. But God's heart is SO APPARENT in these parables! I'm so selfish.. I want to change. I need to change.
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