Leaving The Ninety And Nine To Find The One

 

 

 

The Savior taught us many valuable lessons through parables throughout the scriptures. A particular parable found in the book of Luke was part of an important lesson I learned this week. In Luke 15:3-7 the Savior teaches, "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."

I don't think it was a coincidence that the Savior was always taking the time to teach the one. In so many illustrations of Christ now days you see him taking his time on the street with the one. Sure there were times when he taught thousands but he took his time to teach the one. What a great knowledge it is to know that our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ know each one of us individually. Out of all the millions of people on this earth they know each one of us by name and personally.

The lesson I learned this week is the importance of us taking the time for the one. There are so many people that we come across on a daily basis how often do we stop and take the time for the one person who is struggling with life. The one person who is struggling with a belief in our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. How often do we see people at the grocery store that are having a hard time and we simply pass them up because society thinks it would be weird for us to help brighten their day? How often do we take them time to stop and thank the one at McDonald's who served us our food? How often do we see a co-worker having a hard day and forget to simply ask the question of how are you doing or what can I do to help you?

Most importantly how often do we see our own family and friends struggling either spiritually, emotionally, or temporally and forget to take time out of our busy lives for the one? There are so many out there who feel lost, embarrassed, ashamed, depressed, or overwhelmed with life and we often times forget to seek out the one who may be struggling. As I studied this scripture this week and had an experience with an acquaintance I was thoroughly rebuked by the Spirit of God. I most certainly need to do better and take the time and slow down to seek out the one.

The Savior was the perfect example and set the standard of what it means to leave the ninety and nine to find the one and bring them back to the fold. I hope that all who read this blog may have a greater desire to stop and take the time to search for the one. There are times in our lives when all of us at one point have been the one that needed to be brought back. How grateful are we that there were people who left the ninety and nine to bring us back. Let us all go out and do the same. I am so grateful for the Savior and his love for each of us that he would lay down his own life to save the one. This world needs more of the Savior and let us be the ones to go out and take the message of a loving Savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father who sent him.