SEARCHING FOR THE ONE
SEARCHING FOR THE ONE
There is comfort in being surrounded by familiar people. We know their names, understand their personalities, and enjoy the relationships we have built through the years. There is nothing wrong with appreciating the fellowship we share. The danger comes when we become so comfortable with those who are present that we stop noticing those who are missing.
Luke 15 begins with publicans and sinners drawing near to hear Jesus. The Pharisees and scribes complained, “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them” (Luke 15:2). What they considered an accusation was actually a beautiful description of the mission of Christ. Jesus answered their criticism by telling three stories: one about a lost sheep, another about a lost coin, and finally one about a lost son. In each story, something valuable was lost. In each story, its absence mattered. In each story, there was rejoicing when the lost was found.
Jesus asked, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” (Luke 15:4). The shepherd did not merely stand with the flock and hope the wandering sheep eventually found its way home. He went after it. He searched for it. He continued searching “until he find it.”
The woman who lost one of her ten pieces of silver responded in the same way. Jesus said that she would “light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it” (Luke 15:8). She did not decide that nine coins were enough. The one that was missing still belonged to her, still possessed value, and was still worth the effort required to find it.
We must not conclude that the ninety-nine sheep were unimportant. They mattered greatly. The shepherd’s search for the one did not diminish his love for the others. In the same way, the church must continue to teach, strengthen, encourage, and care for those within the congregation. Paul wrote, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). We must care for the flock, but caring for the flock must never become an excuse for forgetting those outside it.
“The one” may be a neighbor who has never heard the Gospel. It may be a former member who gradually drifted away and now wonders whether anyone noticed. It may be a college student far from home, a coworker carrying a private burden, or a young person who attends every service but still feels overlooked. It may even be the seasoned Christian who is dealing with a private sin. One who is lost is not always obvious. Sometimes the person we need to reach is much closer than we realize.
Searching for “the one” requires more than good intentions. It means noticing an empty seat, making a phone call, beginning a conversation, extending an invitation, and continuing to care when the first attempt receives little response. It means being willing to go beyond “We missed you” and ask, “How can I help you?” James wrote, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death” (James 5:19–20). Reaching the wandering is not an inconvenience added to the work of the church. It is part of the work God has given the church to do.
However, we must always see people as souls rather than projects and reach outside of our comfort zones. But we do not reach out to fill a pew, improve attendance, increase the contribution, or report another baptism. We reach out because each person bears the image of God, because each soul has eternal value, and because Jesus said, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). If that was the mission of our Lord, it must be ours as well. And when the shepherd found the sheep, he laid it upon his shoulders rejoicing. When the woman recovered the coin, she called her friends and neighbors together to celebrate. Jesus then revealed the greater meaning: “Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:7). Heaven rejoices over one.
“The one” may not even be someone we know, but whoever that person may be, we must never become so satisfied with the ninety-nine that we lose our concern for “the one.” And somewhere, someone is wandering, hurting, searching, or waiting to discover whether anyone has noticed. May we love that soul enough to notice, care enough to go, and refuse to stop searching until “the one” is found.
~ Casey Clement