All our lives, we strive to be number one. In track and field, we want to be out front, leading the pack. In relationships, we want to be "the one." Most of the time, being the one feels like the best place to be. But sometimes, you might actually want to be part of the ninety-nine.
I was listening to the song Omemma by Chandler Moore and Maverick City, and a line stood out to me: "So glad You leave the ninety-nine, always for the one." It made me think about how often I have been the one that Jesus had to leave the ninety-nine for. The one who drifted out of alignment with His will, distanced from the community of believers, or weakened in faith. Being the one suddenly feels a lot less appealing, does it not?
In this parable, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, who would have never seen themselves as the lost one. They believed they were the righteous ones. But Jesus never says that being part of the ninety-nine makes us perfect. It simply means there is someone who, in that moment, needs more urgent attention.
When you read this parable, you might realize that sometimes it is better to be counted among the ninety-nine. But whether you are the one who wandered or one who stayed close, Jesus cares deeply for you. Like a shepherd, He will not abandon His sheep. He seeks each of us out, finding us wherever we may be.
It is not that He does not care about the ninety-nine. He absolutely does. But He is also filled with compassion for the one who is lost. Remember Matthew 9:12, where Jesus says it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
Whether you are the one or among the ninety-nine, never forget this: Jesus loves you, and His sacrifice was for you.
Prayer:
Our Father in Heaven. Thank You for a kind of love that will leave the faithful to follow the broken. Forgive me for when I’m lost, show me the way back to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Author: Travis White | 04-25-2025
