Gospel reading: Matthew 18.12-14
[Jesus said] ‘What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’
Reflections
With a hundred sheep on the mountain, it’s unlikely that one going astray is a one-off event. Tomorrow it will be a different sheep. The next day maybe a couple will wander off. Jesus will go after each in turn. Day after day after day he never tires.
Suppose you are among the ninety-nine sheep. What is your reaction to the one that has gone astray? Do you try and find it yourself? Do you worry excessively or not bother? Might you be judgmental? “Oh well, so-and-so was bound to get lost one day – it was coming to them!” Or are you concerned, but content to trust Jesus to search and find, and rejoice at the returning?
Or suppose you are the one that has wandered off. It comes to us all from time to time. I find it is all too easy to let small but frustrating things get to me. My mind churns on these instead of paying attention to the things that matter, and then spins into a spiral of feeling unworthy, inadequate and incapable. Until I remember that all I need to do is relax and let go of my anxiety, impatience and intolerance. To wait and watch for Jesus coming to look for me, and to look for his face lighting up in joy at the sight of me.
-oOo-
Since April 2020, I have been jointly hosting a shared Lectio Divina group on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. These are my reflections only, during the prayer session and as I wrote them up. Please see my separate commentary and leaflet for more information about shared Lectio.
