Jesus told the Parable of the Lost Sheep--remember it?  The rancher goes after one lost sheep, and leaves the 99 at home, all to find the lost one. His listeners were his critics, who didn't much like the lost ones, and were sure they weren't lost, but the righteous.  Jesus says, "This is how God does it."

 

"Who do not need to repent"--that sort of haunts me.  His critics didn't much like the lost, didn't think they themselves needed to repent, and had not too much use for this Jesus and his odd ideas about God...and the lost.  Makes me think whether I'm the ninety-nine or that lost sheep.  What about you? 

 

Joyfully,

 

Dale Patterson