Follow Jesus Christ

“Which of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” In real life, many people can neglect one sheep and not bother to look for it. Recent history shows us leaders like Stalin or Napoleon who sacrifice people for an idea or a victory. Dictators see people as parts of a machine, not as valuable individuals. What do they care about a lost sheep? In Plato’s Republic, it is discussed that the ideal ruler should care for the healthy body of society. The weak, the “unfit”, are sometimes seen as subject to exclusion: “The shepherd does not care for each sheep, but for the flock as a whole…”. In this case, the shepherd may have some compassion for the lost sheep, but he is guided by the interests of the ninety-nine sheep. Why leave them in the open field and risk it for the sake of one? An ordinary person who has many sheep may sacrifice one simply out of “common sense.”

Jesus asks another very similar question: “Which of you fathers, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he instead of a fish give him a serpent?” The thing is, fathers are different. They may not give him a serpent, but they may give him the requested stone instead of bread in order to “reason” with a stupid child: “Do you think this is bread? Well, take it.” A father’s mockery and indifference can simultaneously reason and injure, directing him onto the wrong path in life. This often happens. Children suffer from fathers who suffered from their grandfathers, who suffered from their great-grandfathers, and so on into the endless past.

Jesus’ questions “which of you”, “which of you is the father” can theoretically be answered based on the realities of harsh life: like, “sometimes it has to be this way”. From this point of view, Jesus’ teaching has very high moral values. And what Jesus demanded is a watershed, a boundary that shows where we are: with Jesus or with the leaders and commanders of our world. Jesus demands, insists that a father not give a child a stone instead of bread, that a shepherd leave the ninety-nine in the field and go after the only lost sheep. Why? Because for love, even one suffering soul is a great tragedy. Love cannot extend to the majority of sheep in relative safety, and be taken away from the one sheep that has gone astray. Love extends to all one hundred sheep and focuses on each of them. This is what made Jesus’ teaching revolutionary against the background of a civilization accustomed to mass sacrifices and not interested in an individual. Humanity turned to Jesus in amazement, asking, “Why is even one soul of infinite value?”

Jesus immediately recognized his sheep, worthy individuals, no matter who they were: prostitutes, homeless people, fornicators, tax collectors or quite decent citizens. Did Christ feel outraged by sinners? No, He sympathized with them, He grieved over many of them. Those who really angered Him were believers – religious acquisitors of righteousness, seekers of “observable criteria of spirituality”. Those who, instead of spreading the Word of God entrusted to them, tried to make spiritual authority out of it. These people were sure that by “pleasing to God” deeds they earn their fortune in heaven. The sanctimonious people angered Jesus to the point of anger. Here, indeed, Jesus felt no pity or compassion for those, throwing accusations straight in their faces and denouncing them. Decent people, regardless of their position and life circumstances, close to God in the depths of their hearts, Jesus considered his sheep and did everything for their return. As shocking as it may be, many of the people living next to us are anything but sheep. This is not a pre-election – it is rather a fact of the grown weed, which exists to live as it may disappear forever.

Jesus built and trained a group of his followers using the concept of love and the value of each individual. According to Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, it was common among the apostles to say “I love you.” And this is still not the case in Christian churches. We are alone within ourselves, we are truly like sheep waiting for the example of their shepherd, who suddenly reaches out through the rain and mud and pulls us out of our pit. We are so distrustful of each other, it is so hard for us to love. Maybe later, after many years of spiritual growth, I will be able to repeat the act of the shepherd who left ninety-nine sheep unattended in the field and came for me. We will inevitably come to understand the principle of “one for all and all for one.” We will inevitably come to the need to risk for the sake of one suffering brother. Paul also said something like this: “if one suffers, they all suffer.” We will be able someday, from our heights, to consciously and calmly say to our brother or sister’s face: “I love you and will do everything in my power for you.” And these will not be just words.