Joy In Heaven

ByJim Stephens

Scripture: Luke 15:1-7

1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such despicable people—even eating with them! 3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! (Luke 15:1-7 NLT)

There were a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation hanging around Jesus and really listening to what he said. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not at all pleased. Jesus loved sinners and wanted them to turn to God. Jesus loved Pharisees and religious people and wanted them to “get it,”  to understand that lost people matter to God. But Jesus also loved notorious sinners and “despicable” people!

  • Jesus tells us, “There’s joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life!”
  • Jesus tells us, “We have joy like heaven does when someone who was spiritually dead is born again to eternal life!”

Lost people matter to God. The problem is that lost people don’t always matter to God’s people the same way they matter to God. God loves lost people and gets emotional about his love for them. I want to have a heart like his—a heart that is sad over the condition of lost people and happy when they turn to God.

God loves lost people and is quick to depart from “business as usual” to seek them out, bring them home, and celebrate their new life. I tend to spend more time with “found people” than with “lost people.” I want to have a heart like his—a heart that prompts me to go out of my way to be with lost people.

It’s a matter of the heart. I need frequent heart tune-ups so my heart is like God’s heart for the lost: Sad when they’re lost and deliriously happy when they’re found!

Prayer:

Father, Please tune-up my heart. I want to be moved by what moves you. I want to be sad about what you’re sad about and happy about what brings you joy. I want lost people to matter to me the way they matter to you. Amen.