12 “Look at it this way. If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? 13 And if he finds it, doesn’t he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? 14 Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn’t want to lose even one of these simple believers.

Matthew 18:12-14

This came to me at 2 o’clock in the morning so stay with me here.

Over the last several days, a group of us have been working on a name for the cafe we are opening here at CrossPoint Salina. As I layed in bed, my mind raced with ideas (good and mostly bad). I was trying to think of anything that we could tie in Biblically without naming it “The Holy Trinity Grace and Peace Resurrection Coffee House and Tea Cafe”. You know, something clever, something that attracts instead of repels. The story in Matthew 18 came to mind, mainly because I thought 99 would look cool on the sign.

I started thinking  “What do these verses mean anyways?”

As I read, and re-read, and read the verses in front of and behind 12-14, all I came up with were more questions.

“Why did he leave the majority to find the minority? He must not know the democratic process.”

“Why does he care so much for the one who took off and leave the sheep who were doing what they were supposed to?”

“Why am I still awake?”

I knew that I was not getting to sleep until I resolved this, better yet, till God resolved this. I prayed, “Please God tell me what this means so I can go to sleep” (insert desperate dramatic effect).

Then came the “aha” moment:

The 99 are the His church. So why doesn’t He seem to care about His church in this verse?  Because Jesus loves the church, but we are not the focus. Those who he wants to be a part of His church are the focus.

We should be focusing on those that have been hurt or who have let their faith die. That is where the need is. Not to make a better cooler church for us, but for the church to see others with the compassion that Jesus sees them.

Lets stop thinking about what this church needs and start thinking how this church can meet needs.

EF

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