Who is Important?

By: Annie Slabaugh

Over the weekend, I was talking to my mom (I feel like a lot of my blog entries start with this sentence) and the parable of The Lost Sheep came up in our conversation:

“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

“So he told them this parable: “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? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just 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.”

Luke 15: 1-7 NRSV

What really spoke to me about this parable is that Jesus loves all of His sheep.  All of His sheep are important but it’s the ones who are distressed that need the help and special attention.  It is those among us who are the most venerable that need our attention as well.  We don’t have to feel like we don’t matter because the needs of someone else or another group of people is in the spotlight.  Instead of demanding His attention, we would be better off to be thankful that we are not the ones who are hurting or in need of help.  Rather than getting angry or upset about it wouldn’t it be more productive to focus on gratitude and caring for those sheep as Jesus does?