In Luke 15 there is a trilogy of parables concerning the lost ~ the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep and the Lost Son. There is no doubt that Jesus' emphasis in each of these was to challenge us about our own attitudes toward and response to “the lost, the hurting, the disadvantaged and marginalized”. Every time Jesus spoke in parables, He left his hearers with a message of spiritual challenge to effect a deep, personal change in their lives.
One of our Bible discussion members reminded us of Ira Sankey's song, The Ninety and the Nine. I later discovered that Sankey came across these words in a British newspaper while he was conducting an evangelical campaign in Scotland with Dwight L Moody. He tore the poem from the paper, put it in his pocket, and forgot about it. Later that day, at the end of their service in Edinburgh, Moody asked Sankey for a closing song. Ira was caught by surprise, but at that very moment the Holy Spirit reminded him of the poem by Elizabeth Clephane that was in his pocket. He brought it out, said a prayer, then composed the tune as he sang.
There were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away, far off from the gates of gold.
Away on the mountains wild and bare. Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.
"Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; are they not enough for Thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find My sheep.”
But none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through 'ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry, sick and helpless and ready to die.
And all through the mountains, thunder riven and up from the rocky steep
There arose a glad cry to the gate of Heaven, “Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne, “Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”
Lord, keep me passionate about the 'lost' and focussed on doing my part to 'bring them home' to You!
