Matthew 18:12 “What’s your opinion? What will somebody do who has a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go off to find the stray? 13 And if he happens to find it? Yes! I tell you he is happier over it than over the ninety-nine that never strayed! 14 Thus your Father in heaven does not want even one of these little ones to be lost.
Luke 15:1 The tax-collectors and sinners kept gathering around to hear Yeshua, 2 and the P’rushim and Torah-teachers kept grumbling. “This fellow,” they said, “welcomes sinners — he even eats with them!” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “If one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, doesn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 When he does find it, he joyfully hoists it onto his shoulders; 6 and when he gets home, he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Come, celebrate with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who turns to God from his sins than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.
This parable is usually used to describe the sinner that has gone astray and that is a very good application of this lesson. But I wanted to look at it from another perspective: from one of the 99.
To begin, we see here in Luke that the one that left is likened to a sinner that has lost their way. It seems they were part of the flock and wandered away somehow. Slowly, inadvertently, and maybe even purposely. Whatever the circumstances, they left. And we’re all familiar with this concept of the Shepherd going after them. That may have even been us at some point in our own lives, right?
But what about the 99?
The implication is the 99, while not perfect, are able to be left behind and temporarily unsupervised -- and be able to survive for a short season on their own. Yes, they may compete with one another getting their water and food first, snipping at each other when they get in each other's way, or bumping into each other as we all move together.
But if trouble comes…
They have decided to lock shields with the rest of the flock. They have been trained by their Shepherd and they are sticking to that training. They understand there is safety in the group so they stay together, protecting the weaker members.
Looking at any one of the 99 we see there are several different positions within the flock:
In the center
In between
On the edge
I think you likely know where in the flock you reside. If you are in the middle or in between, you can stop reading now. The rest of this here is to address the watchmen.
If you are claiming to be a leader of any kind, you have a serious job to do.
Don’t believe me? Or think that all you have to do is make sure events are planned well? Let’s look at Ezekiel to get an idea of what is required of the real leaders:
Ezekiel 3:15 I went to the exiles who were living in Tel-Aviv, by the K’var River and stayed with them there in a stupefied state for seven days. 16 After seven days the word of YHVH came to me: 17 “Human being, I have appointed you to be a watchman for the house of Isra’el. When you hear a word from my mouth, you are to warn them for me. 18 If I say to a wicked person, ‘You will certainly die’; and you fail to warn him, to speak and warn the wicked person to leave his wicked way and save his life; then that wicked person will die guilty; and I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 On the other hand, if you warn the wicked person, and he doesn’t turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, then he will still die guilty; but you will have saved your own life. 20 Similarly, when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness, I will place a stumblingblock before him — he will die; because you failed to warn him, he will die in his sin; his righteous acts which he did will not be remembered; and I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 But if you warn the righteous person that a righteous person should not sin, and he doesn’t sin; then he will certainly live, because he took the warning; and you too will have saved your life.”
Notice the language here. Of course we have the wicked needing to be warned, but there are also warnings to the righteous, the sheep. We see this exact language in Luke’s account of this parable.
Now who’s guilty for their sin? Yeah, it’s you.
“Absurd!” you say, “I mean, they are the ones that made that decision to sin, not me.”
True. But you aren’t guilty of their sin. You are guilty of your own. Oh, dear watchman! You are guilty for not warning them of their sin! You are wise enough to detect it but too weak to mention it. That makes you responsible.
Mr. Leader, you have put yourself along the outside edge of the flock because it looks nice and powerful. Everyone looks at you and thinks you know what's going on. They assume you are confident and competent. And you love the status and attention. A leader among leaders you are.
But you are weak. You are a fraud. And this is why their sin unchecked is your sin.
Abba doesn’t need you to provide His people with a false sense of security. He needs you to scan the horizon and warn them when the predators are coming. He needs you to also watch the flock and correct sin within the camp.
Again, Ezekiel speaks clearly and plainly to this very fact:
Ezekiel 33 The word of YHVH came to me: 2 “Human being, speak to your people; say to them, ‘Suppose I bring the sword on a country, and the people of that country take one of their men and appoint him their watchman. 3 Now if, upon seeing the sword coming against that country, he blows the shofar and warns the people; 4 then, if the sword comes and takes away someone who heard the sound of the shofar but paid no attention to it, the responsibility for that person’s death will be his own — 5 he heard the shofar but paid no attention, so the responsibility for his death is his own; whereas if he had paid attention, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the shofar, so that the people are not warned; and then the sword comes and takes any one of them, that one is indeed taken away in his guilt, but I will hold the watchman responsible for his death.’
7 “Likewise you, human being — I have appointed you as watchman for the house of Isra’el. Therefore, when you hear the word from my mouth, warn them for me. 8 When I tell the wicked person, ‘Wicked person, you will certainly die’; and you fail to speak and warn the wicked person to leave his way; then that wicked person will die guilty; and I will hold you responsible for his death. 9 On the other hand, if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he doesn’t turn from his way; then he will still die guilty, but you will have saved your own life.
The enemy within, the enemy without. Both are enemies.
You can fight an enemy that is coming to make war with your bare hands, but it’s near impossible to carve out a disease that is deep within the body. So we have to treat it before it spreads. It isn’t comfortable but absolutely critical to your survival.
While our Shepherd is away, we must do what we have been trained to do. And that’s to do what He would do.
What would the Master Watchman do when He detected sin? Yeah, He confronted it head on. Because He loved them.
And we are to do the exact same.
So, watchman, what are you to do?
The enemy is coming and the sin is deep within. From the outside and from the inside, we are under attack.
Grab your shofar and blow that thing so loud the earth itself trembles.
Watchman…dear, dear watchman. Take your place of authority in the Spirit!
The time is near. In fact, it is here. The 98 need you and they need you now.