Our daily reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of the chapters from that day's readings. Darllenwch rhain yn Gymraeg.
Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.
This is a chapter all about lost things. We see references to a sheep, a coin and a son who asks for his inheritance in advance and squanders it. If we focus on the lost sheep, we find a story that has been labelled by William Barclay as ‘the gospel in the gospel’ – the essence of why Jesus came among us.
It was an offence to the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus associated with tax collectors and sinners. It was the religious leaders' deliberate choice to avoid all contact with those who did not observe the law. Yet Jesus challenges this through the story of a lost sheep, speaking into the culture in terms that the listeners would understand. The Jewish people would understand that every shepherd would risk his life for his sheep and if one went missing, the shepherd would go looking and be greeted with much celebration should they find it.
What a powerful story of hope, a representation that God is interested in saving the one! This parable resonates personally with me at this present moment after adopting a three- year-old boy, who was lost in the system. Finding and bringing him home changed the course of his life. The gospel is filled with searching for the ‘one’ – whether that be a sheep, a coin or a son.
Dear God, help me to see that one person who is lost. Let me see them through your eyes. May I never overlook what difference I could make in the life of one person. Amen.
Nigel Langford is Bible Society's Head of Church Relations
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