“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

If you’ve ever played a game of Hide and Seek with a very young child, it is quite different than it might be with someone who is a bit older.  In your search, it would not be unusual to notice feet sticking out from under the bed or hear giggling from the back of the sofa. It’s almost as if the security of being found far outweighs the prospect of becoming missed, even if only for a short time. In October, 2014 – it was not uncommon for visitors who traversed through the world’s largest corn maze at Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon, California to have to call for help to get out. Once inside the 63-acre corn creation, adventurers frequently discovered that what they believed would be an easy maneuver became much more of a challenge than they had anticipated. Once everything begins to look the same and you lose perspective, one can easily panic. In this case, some even used their cell phones to call 9-1-1 after the frustration of being lost wore thin.

In this day and age, it is not infrequent for any one of us to be part of an organization that loses its way. Companies spend valuable energy and dollars hiring consultants to develop mission statements which, by their intent, are to contain the beliefs that define the organization’s purpose.  In practicality, a company should be able to turn to their mission statement as a source of reference to see if they are remaining true to their principles or if they have lost their focus.  Ideally, a good mission statement should be static and remain true over time.  Christian churches often develop mission statements as well, and different from other organizations, they almost universally center on some form of discipleship made possible through the loving grace of Jesus.  While companies are not always true to their mission, the Christian church is sometimes no less accountable. Perhaps they are not all that different, since through the course of time the church is often seen by its toughest critics as having become nothing more than another big business and lost to the origins of its own creation.

In response to condemnation from the Pharisees who were criticizing Him for welcoming and dining with sinners, Jesus cites three parables of ‘the lost.’ They are the Lost Sheep as well as the Lost Coin and the Lost Son, frequently referred to as ‘The Prodigal.’ In the first of these – Jesus said, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” (Luke 15:4-7). Jesus made it very clear that His mission was centered on those who were lost.

Throughout our lifetime, it is fair to say that there have been periods when we have been like that lost sheep. As individuals – our personal values may align but can also occasionally be in conflict with those organizations to which we belong. It is likely that as we continue on our walk, there will be times in our future when we will once again feel lost. Getting lost becomes a ‘rite of passage’ for each person as we determine who we are. As we do so, we hopefully draw closer to God and learn to always keep an open heart allowing Him to find us. It is not unlike that game of Hide and Seek engaging that naïve child for the very first time. We want to eventually be found. “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14). So when we discover ourselves in the midst of a maize, we come to understand that getting lost may occasionally become part of the journey. Our realization is that we need to know when and who to call for help.  Only then can we ultimately become free and once more find ourselves in His loving arms.

REFLECTION: Try to recall an incident when you were actually lost. What were the steps you took to find your way?  Can you apply this recovery to a time when you felt spiritually lost?  During those periods in your life when you have felt separated from God, how have you been able to renew your fellowship with Him?  What did it take for you to realize that He was there all the time waiting for your return?

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