There are several lessons in today’s Gospel reading:
- The love of God is an individual love. Like any parent, each person in the family is important, each child. The parent will do all that is necessary to protect and save the child. So too with God. Every single one of us is important. Jesus seeks to save every one of us even the sinner.
- The love of God is a patient love. Sheep are known for doing foolish things. Their behavior can be erratic. Even so the shepherd will do what is necessary to protect his sheep. So too God loves even the foolish person, who has no one to blame but himself for his sins.
- The love of God seeks those who are lost, it does not stand back, or stand by. The shepherd went out to seek the lost sheep. God is not content to wait, he seeks out the sinner.
- The love of God is one that celebrates. There is no grudge, or contempt for the person. God is willing to let ‘the past be the past’ and not to hold things against us. Something we humans find difficult to do. Too often a person who has been offended has the attitude, I will forgive but never forget.
- The love of God is a protective love. It seeks to save each of us and is willing to do what it takes to accomplish that.
God’s love does not have limits, it is not transactional, it is a gift given not a bargain struck.
Remember Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom.
Image: “God’s Enduring Love Penstemon Wildflower by Bible Verse Photo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.