The Lost Sheep

Have you ever lost something special, and searched and searched until you found it? Jesus told a story about that.

Lots of people loved to listen to Jesus, even people who had done many wrong things. Some grown-ups grumbled about that. Why does Jesus spend time with people like them, they asked. So Jesus told them a story about a shepherd and his sheep.

Once there was a shepherd who had one hundred sheep. That's a lot of sheep! Every day, he led them to green grass to munch, and cool water to drink. He knew every one of them. The fluffy ones, the sleepy ones, and the curious ones who liked to wander. He knew each one by name, and every sheep knew the sound of his voice.

One evening, the shepherd counted his sheep, just like he always did. Ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine.

Ninety-nine? He counted again, very carefully. Still ninety-nine. One little sheep was missing! Maybe it had followed a trail of tasty grass, nibble by nibble, and wandered off without noticing. The shepherd could have said, oh well, I still have ninety-nine. But he didn't.

To him, every single sheep was precious. Even just one. He left the ninety-nine together in the open country, and he went after the one that was lost. He climbed up rocky hills, calling and calling. He looked behind big boulders, and under prickly bushes. He searched along the stream, where the water splashed and bubbled over the stones. Little sheep, where are you?

The sky grew dark, and the wind grew cold. But the shepherd did not give up. He would keep on looking, until he found it.

Then he heard something. A tiny, wobbly little sound. Baa. There it was! The little lost sheep, caught in a thorny bush, tired and frightened. Was the shepherd cross? Not one bit. He gently set it free, and spoke softly, so it wouldn't be scared anymore. Then he lifted it up onto his shoulders, and off they went.

And all the way home, he was rejoicing. That means he was so happy, he could hardly keep from singing. When he got home, he called his friends and neighbors together. He said, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!"

Then Jesus told everyone what his story meant. Heaven is just like that, he said. When one person who has done wrong says sorry and turns back to God, there is great joy in heaven. Just one person! That's how much each one of us matters to God. Jesus is like that shepherd, and we are like his sheep. Sometimes we wander off too, when we choose the wrong thing, or forget to listen to God.

But Jesus never stops looking for us. And when he finds us, he carries us home with joy.

This story teaches us that every single one of us matters to God, and he never gives up on us.

When we say sorry and come back to him, God forgives us, and all of heaven is glad.