Does it take your breath away? It does mine. The lamb doesn't really even know the depth of his troubles. He is a mess. He is tired. He may have missed a meal. But, does he even know he is lost?
Does he have any clue of the dangers from the predators when the sun goes down? Probably not.
The Shepherd knows. He knows it all. When he realizes this little one is missing, he leaves the other sheep who are safe to find the lost. When the lost one is in sight... He runs. HE runs!
For me, this picture is emotional. It speaks a truth that is bigger than the parable it references. It reaches the deepest part of my soul with the truth told.
"Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! So Jesus told them this story: If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!" -Luke 15:1-8
We are all lost when He finds us. Some of us are on the run. Others are stuck in the mud or some other terrifying or life threatening situation. We think we know what is true. Often, what we believe to be true is the answer we like best.
Oh, if it were that simple, there would have been no need for a Savior.
He welcomed the tax collectors and other notorious sinners. He even ate with them. Like the Shepherd in the parable - he made himself available to the lost.
This artwork by Kevin Carden and can be purchased at Christ Follower Life.
Today, I am grateful for art that touches the heart.
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