GOD DOES NOT WILL THAT
THE LEAST BE LOST
THE LEAST BE LOST
I read a
story recently about a man driving from work who was in a near-fatal accident.
When his wife received word, she rushed to the hospital where he had been
taken. A young intern informed her that her husband had received emergency
treatment upon arrival and was now undergoing surgery. Though his condition was
critical, he was still alive. The intern tried to comfort the wife by reminding
her that where there is life, there is hope.
At the time, the words did not
much interest the distressed woman. Perhaps we would feel the same in a similar
situation. And yet the simple words, "Where there is life, there is
hope," contain a profound truth.
Our world
does have difficult times, which include the war on terrorism, struggles to
achieve social justice, and pollution. Everything we try to do seems little
better than emergency treatment, and there is small comfort in that. But the
world is not dead, and where there is life, there is hope. Most important of
all, a surgeon, a Divine Physician, is even now working to repair the serious
injuries done to the world through sin, the real cause of all our ills. From
time to time, as in today's first reading, God sends a message to us,
"Comfort, give comfort to my people" (Is 40:1). All will yet be well.
Unlike the woman in the hospital, we can do more than just wait. Hope does not
mean passivity. Let us remember our faith, the faith to know that God endures
all. Let us grow in the spirit of the season of Advent as we watch, wait, and
long for more than we could ever accomplish. We trust that, in divine
faithfulness, this is what God will do. "Here is your God" (Is 40:9),
Isaiah declares. This God is not only seen in powerful images of triumph but
also in tender acts of caring. He will gather lambs in His arms. Like Jesus'
parable of the shepherd in the Gospel, our shepherd will search out and care
for the lost sheep and give them the comfort they need. But we need to do our
part; we to need to accept this gift from God and let Him be a part of our
lives.
To understand
the significance of Jesus' parable today, it might help to understand more
about the work of a shepherd. Shepherds normally counted their sheep at the end
of the day to make sure all were accounted for. Since sheep by their very
nature are very social, an isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered and
even neurotic. The shepherd's grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds
the lost sheep and restores it to the fold. The shepherd searches until what he
has lost is found. His persistence pays off!
What was
new in Jesus' teaching was the insistence that those lost in life must be
sought out and not merely mourned for. God does not rejoice in the loss of
anyone, but desires that we be saved and restored to fellowship with Him in the
now and for eternity. That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when
one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God. Let us be seekers of
the lost; we are much needed.
Finally, as
we reflect on the Word of God today, may we realize that the hope we have is
derived not from human activity, however important, but from God's grace. We should not fear to offer to the world the
prophet's words of hope and consolation: Here is your God. Here comes our
Shepherd who loves us: my Lord and my God!