bring em back into the fold

Thursday September 11th, Matthew 18: 12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. By using this story, part of the lost and found triptych in Luke, Matthew is calling the early church to gather those who are lost. Written after the destruction of the temple, it is now the communities job to restore and reconcile the lost and the sinner who wander off. It is less about being right than about being whole. Put down you self-righteousness and go after the lost ones. Either that or get fitted for a millstone. Gods dwelling is not longer in place, temple, but in persona and in the multitude of persona that make up the community. It is there that sins are forgiven, relationships built and restored, and hope renewed.