Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

The overriding thought I have right out of the gate here is this: Some people treat their animals better than they treat their neighbors.

You can tell the heart of a person by how they treat the outcasts and underprivileged in life. “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭35‬)

Much of how we experience life has to do with the perspective in which we see it.
Some see their own gain, their important goals, and their position and power as the premium pursuit of their lives. And so, relationships are kept, and people are socialized with when they help achieve these goals. This is the selfish way to live, and it results in evil decisions in the end.

Others find joy in the journey and purpose in all the stages of life — the ups and the downs. They understand that compared to God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotent nature, living life in our own strength, with our own goals and our own plan is pointless and dull. In comparison, life with God is a life lived beyond oneself, where spiritual adventures abound, relationships grow much deeper, and we love others with a love that pierces to the heart!

So why would I want to focus on others’ inadequacies, when I can focus on God’s grace and his calling for me to love those who are lost, introducing them to the Savior?

Lord, teach me to gain your perspective first, prior to judging others. May you train me to look for your handiwork, contribute to your plans, and help with the needs you place in front of me.