What is your opinion

Isaiah 40:1-11; Ps 96 The Lord our God comes with power; Mt 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciple, "what is your opinion."

Jesus isn't really asking for our opinion is he?  Really, our opinion can be pretty far fetched at times.

It fact my boss in college use to tell me, "when i want your opinion, I will give it to you."

Unfortunately, the sense of one's opinion has been diluted.

Today in our present age, opinions really don't count for much because of them are founded on false presumptions or worse faulty judgment; they are not sound reasoning.

Most of what we have opinions on today are caught up in our own selfish advantage.  We think about ourselves and how things effect us, either making our life east and convenient or more difficult and it seems most of us choose the easy convenient path.

But, God does not.  Perhaps this is what Jesus wants us to realize.

To leave 99 sheep to fetch the one doesn't sound like it is much benefit to the shepherd.  He is the  one that has every thing to risk and everything to lose.  He is the one that puts himself in harms way.  HE is the one that chooses the difficult path and thus illuminates the very path we are to follow as well.


Normally, the flock was a communal flock.  Therefore, there were more than one shepherd keeping watch.  Thus, one shepherd could leave the 99 trusting it was being cared for by the other shepherds.


Which means of course God has put a lot of responsibility and trust in us to keep a look out over the flock.

Secondly, it the shepherd cared for each sheep as an individual and as it belonged to the all.  Just as God cares for each of us individually.  God loves us each.  God loves man and thus he loves humanity.

God's love is both patient and seeking.  He tracks us down.
God's love is also protecting love that brings security.  Could you imagine a better place then resting on the shoulders of the shepherd?

Lastly, Gd's love rejoices in his prize possession: each individual sheep.