Reflection 26/The Will to Be Found/Enlightenment
“You have been admonished by the prophets from Samuel to John that you should seek for God—search for truth. Always have they said, ‘Seek the Lord that he may be found.’ And all such teaching should be taken to heart. But I have come to show you that while you were seeking to find God, God is likewise seeking to find you. Many times have I told you the story of the good shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep in the fold while he went forth searching for the one that was lost and how when he had found the straying sheep, he laid it over his shoulder and tenderly carried it back to the fold. And when the lost sheep had been restored to the fold, you remember that the good shepherd called in his friends and bade them rejoice with him over the finding of the sheep that had been lost. Again, I say there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents then over the ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. The fact that souls are lost only increases the interest of the heavenly Father. I have come to this world to do my Father’s bidding, and it has truly been said of the Son of Man that he is a friend of publicans and sinners.
“You have been taught that divine acceptance comes after your repentance and as a result of all your words of sacrifice and penance, but I assure you that the Father accepts you even before you have repented and sends the Son and his associates to find you and bring you with rejoicing back to the fold, the kingdom of sonship and spiritual progress. You are all like sheep which have gone astray, and I have come to seek and to save those who are lost.”
As they came down from the mountain and joined the other apostles, Jesus prepared them for their next preaching tour. This time it would be in the Decapolis, a region comprised of ten Greek speaking cities southeast of the Sea of Galilee and far from the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem or Herod Antipas in Galilee.
These ten pagan, Gentile cities were far more developed and sophisticated than the Jewish cities and towns of either Galilee or Judea. However, though their Greek philosophy was advanced, the religious life of the pagan gentiles was dominated by a confusing assortment of gods and goddesses. And though the Jewish teaching of one God appealed to many, their complicated system of 613 laws and rituals to appease this mighty God was so formidable and off-putting that it had never taken hold in Gentile culture.
When Jesus came with his message of a single, loving God whose divine spark lives within you and requires nothing but faith to find him, they were very receptive. The idea that any ‘god’ could be humble and respectful of human beings was completely unheard of in their culture.
Reflection
It isn’t long before you hear from a disciple who chose to stay behind that Jesus came down from the mountain and quietly brought his apostles back through northern Galilee to a gathering with his remaining followers at Magadan Park. He wanted them to go into Gentile lands again and deliver the spiritual heart of his gospel without creating confusion by speaking of him as the Jewish Messiah. He said he would teach and oversee their work, then paired them off two by two. He told them to go into these cities quietly--to knock on doors and find those who may be spiritually hungry.
You know this means that the apostles will once again be working with the gentiles and called upon to be as patient as Jesus himself. Every time he has them to work further from Galilee, they find themselves needing to rely on faith that knows no boundaries. Yet they’re learning that the discomfort he creates in requiring them to become better and more tolerant people results in their gaining confidence and strength as messengers of his gospel.
He’s always at their side, working harder than any of them. He never promises to keep them from hard work or trouble but says that he’ll go through all of it with them. These cities will be a challenge--nestled in sunbaked hills and thirsty for the rainy season. There are many intelligent and hungry souls that will reach for truth in the teachings of their magnetic and learned Jewish teacher. The people there have never heard of one like Jesus before. They’ve never heard anyone speak of a god in the way he does.
CHILDREN RESPONSES AFTER REFLECTION
As the children shared, a deeper common understanding emerged: the reflection is not only about a lost sheep or about Jesus sending apostles to the Gentiles. It is about the way God's love reaches people wherever they are.
Desilanta:sometimes we think we must first become perfect before God can love us. God is already looking for us even when we are lost or struggling.
Salima:I am touched by the picture of the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine sheep to look for the one that was lost. I understand that every person has value before God, even someone whom other people may ignore.
Christopher:To me Jesus did not only preach to people who were already religious or who agreed with him. He went to people who were different from him some how it teaches us that faith should make us brave enough to approach people who are different from us rather than fear them.
Victor: the idea that God accepts us before we repent. He said this does not mean that mistakes are good, but that when someone knows they are loved, they can become more willing to admit their mistakes and choose a better way.
Mark:Jesus was teaching us patience and tolerance through experience. His deeper lesson was that we cannot become good servants by only working with people who are like instead Sometimes difficult relationships are opportunities to grow
Francis : "Jesus did not simply send them away and leave them alone". He went through the difficulties with them. It teaches me that when God gives us a difficult responsibility, we should not always expect the work to become easy; instead, we can have faith that God is with us while we do it.
Jeremiah:even someone who has made many mistakes can still have a future and can still be useful to God is what i learn....
Shalom:i understood that true service is not about making people admire the messenger but helping people discover God for themselves. this challenges me or us to serve without always looking for recognition
Erizeth:some people have ideas about God that make them afraid rather than hopeful. I learn that our words and actions can help another person see God's love more clearly and so its good to be careful about how we treats others.
Flowrence:i am deeply touched by the idea that God searches for the individual who is lost.it feels that even when someone feels small or unimportant, they can still be precious in God's sight
Rihana:I oersonally learn that spiritual service does not always have to be done alone. People can strengthen one another when they work together for something good. And so we have to learn to encourage others instead of competing with them.
Kyatwike :the refkection shows us that growth sometimes happens when we are placed in situations that challenge our usual way of thinking - for me the lesson is that God can use uncomfortable experiences to make us more patient, tolerant and courageous.
Benjamin:God is seeking to find us while we are seeking to find Him-so faith therefore involves both God's loving invitation and our willingness to choose Him.
