“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound 

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.”

This famous song was written by John Newton. He had been the captain of a slave ship. His job was to transport human beings across the ocean to a state of abhorrent servitude that all see clearly today, as the crime against God and man, that it always had been. Despite his participation in this vile practice, in a near shipwreck storm he was converted to Christianity. He would go on to become an Anglican priest, and a staunch abolitionist, advocating for the ending of that sinful system he was once a part of.

He wrote this song, about his conversion, to illustrate a sermon. It is sung today for the same reason. Newton was the lost sheep in our Gospel parable, just as so many of us have found ourselves to be.

“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

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?

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” (Luke 15:1-7)

See, a shepherd tends his sheep like a father nurtures his children. Guiding them, correcting them, and doing all within his limited power to keep them from danger. Just like with children, the shepherd must watch the vulnerable and the innocent the closest, but he cannot keep his eye on everything all the time. At least to do so would be to never allow his children to roam free and to discover all the goodness in this world. But just like with sheep in this story, children may use their freedom to go far astray.

Our heavenly Father likewise has given us freedom. The freedom to choose the good, on our own. Yet we too have gone very far astray from His guidance and His protection. If a parent has a child go missing, then he does not stay with the others and hope all will turn out for the best. He tells the others to stay right where they are, and he goes to look for his missing child. He will call out to them by name. Searching in every place in hopes to find his child and bring them home.

Jesus Christ is our good shepherd. The Father has given us into His hand. He is calling out for us, who have gone astray. Telling us “please come home”. A good child will come to the calls of his parents, so as good sheep we should hear the voice of our shepherd. We should not leave Him to fear for us, not when we can hear Him calling. We have the freedom to go astray (though we know we should not), but we have also the freedom to come home again.

As our Epistle says, we must humble ourselves before God.

“All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:5-10)

Yes, it is easy to be enticed by the exaltation of the pleasure of this world. For God Himself has “made [us] a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned [us] with glory and honour” and has made us “to have dominion over the works of [His] hands”; He has “put all things under [our] feet.” (Psalm 8:5-6) But the devil walks this earth like a hunting wolf or a roaming lion. He will take any that he finds Our good shepherd does not tell us to stay close to punish us, but to preserve us, unto everlasting life.

 He seeks to guide us into all truth and righteousness. To enjoy the beauty and glory of this world. For it, like us, are His creation. It is at our highest perfection that He is most glorified. It is at our greatest triumph that He is most glad.

All of us have fallen short of the glory of God, that is why we need him. We need him to guide us, to help us. We are so far from what we are capable of being. But he loves us even when we have gone astray. He loves us even when we turn away, so return that love. Trust in him. Go to his voice, so that all of heaven may rejoice. For you are of so much value, that even all the angels of heaven will sing when they hear that you have been found again.