Any Length to Save a Lamb
In Scripture, the imagery of sheep and shepherding is found over and over. One of Jesus’s beloved parables is about a man who lost one sheep out of 100, but who went out to find that one lost sheep, celebrating upon the rescue of that one (Luke 15:3-7).
Recently in England, a real-life example of that was lived out. A lamb was reported to be in a difficult position in Durham, England. It had fallen down a drain pipe and was finally located about 50 feet down the pipe.
So, was the lamb just left there to be frightened and, likely, to die? Of course not. A crew of workers, using machinery, dug four holes to get nearer to the lamb and, after four hours of work, finally were able to rescue the lamb from the pipe. [Source]
In both cases–in Jesus’s parable and in the story from England–it was just one sheep. Why does that stand out so much to us? Why would Jesus use just one sheep to make His point in Luke 15?
Because one matters.
In Jesus’s parable, the shepherd searched for the one sheep. In England, workers dug down until they found that one lamb.
I wonder: do I care that much about one sheep; one soul.
When someone who has been in the “fold” (i.e., the church) and has even started drifting, do I even notice? When I notice one person has starting living a worldly life or exchanging Biblical morality for the ways of the world, do I care enough to say anything? And when one person leaves, will I turn over every stone to try to find that person and when him or her back to the Lord?
If each soul is worth more than the whole world, then should we not be on a constant pursuit, not just to keep our own soul pure, but also to reach out to those who are putting their soul in eternal jeopardy? May we have the courage and conviction to reach out and rescue every lost sheep.
“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20)
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
