“there is more joy over the one found …”

According to the first reading for today from Isaiah 40:1-11, God asks the prophet to console God’s people. To console means to comfort someone in time of grief or disappointment. Why are the people sad or disappointed? They have endured exile because their leaders failed them and now they look forward to a future Messiah who will be like a shepherd who feeds the flock and gathers the lambs into her arms. This passage also points towards John the Baptist the one who will “prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord”. The gospel from Matthew 18:12-14 is the parable about the shepherd who leaves 99 on the hillside in order to search for the one who is lost. A key word in both these readings is joy. The one who is spoken of as the messenger in the reading from Isaiah is also said to be one who is full of joy. The gospel reading tells of the shepherd’s joy if the one lost sheep is found. It is far greater than the joy that may be felt because the 99 did not stray. Talk about a text that should be a source of great comfort, especially when we feel grieved or disappointed with ourselves! So, even when I loose my way or fail to live up to what is expected of me, I shouldn’t feel all is lost. God never stops searching. This is why the hymn “Amazing Grace” is always special. “I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see.” Always trust that, no matter how far you wander, you will always be found. And when that happens, God’s joy is boundless.