........For much of the time, a crowd of people hung around Jesus, listening to everything he had to say. The crowd was full of disreputable characters whose lifestyles were offensive to the more respectable members of society. The Pharisees and religious experts got their noses out of joint over this, and began denouncing Jesus. “He keeps company with people whose behaviour is beyond the pale,” they said, “and he doesn’t even draw the line at sharing meals with them.”
........Jesus responded to their objections by telling this story:
If you had care of a hundred sheep and one of them got lost, what would you do? Like anyone else, you would leave the other ninety-nine grazing in the paddock and go off looking for the lost one until you found it. And when you found it, you would be so relieved that you would hoist it up on your shoulders and dance home with a spring in your step. Not only that, you would then call all your friends and neighbours around for party, saying, ‘The shout’s on me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’Jesus said, “Let me assure you that it is just like that in heaven. One screwed-up person getting back on the right track causes far bigger celebrations than ninety-nine respectable people who never left it.”
........He continued with another story:
If you had ten coins — all collector’s items — and you lost one of them, what would you do? Like anyone else, you would turn on all the lights and go over the house with a fine-toothed comb until you found it. And when you found it, you would call all your friends and neighbours around for party, saying, ‘The shout’s on me, for I have found the coin that I lost.’Jesus said, “Let me assure you that the angels party like that over each wayward person who turns their life back towards God.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
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