God Seeks His Wandering Sheep

What does Jesus mean when he talks about 'little ones'?

In Matthew 18:12-14, Jesus tells a story about a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find one that wandered away. But who is Jesus really talking about?

What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:12-14)

Jesus calls believers 'little ones' — not because of their age, but because they have childlike faith. He's talking about anyone who trusts in him, even when they're young in their faith or make mistakes. That includes you!

Why would a shepherd leave 99 sheep to find just one?

Think about it: if you had 100 sheep and lost one, would you really leave all the others to go search for it? It seems risky! But that's exactly what Jesus says the shepherd does.

What does this tell you about how much God values each person? Does he only care about groups of people, or does he care about you as an individual? How does knowing God would search for you personally make you feel?

What does it mean to 'go astray' or wander away?

In the sermon, we learned that going astray means wandering off into sin — making choices that take us away from God. Maybe it's lying, being mean to others, or ignoring what God says in the Bible.

Can you think of a time when you made a choice that took you away from doing what's right? What happened? The good news is that God doesn't give up on us when we wander — he comes looking for us!

How does God seek us when we wander?

Jesus doesn't just tell us God cares — he shows us how God seeks wandering sheep. Right after this parable, in Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus explains that God uses other believers to help restore us when we sin.

Sometimes that means a friend, parent, or church leader will lovingly point out when we're going the wrong way. It might feel uncomfortable, but it's actually God's way of bringing us back! Have you ever had someone help you see a mistake you were making? How did that help you?

Read Psalm 23:1-3 to see another picture of how God restores us:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

What should you remember this week?

God cares about you individually — not just about the whole church or all Christians everywhere, but about YOU. When you mess up or wander away from him, he doesn't write you off or forget about you. He comes searching, and he rejoices when you come back!

This week, when you're tempted to sin or feel like you've already messed up too much, remember: you have a loving Shepherd who will never stop seeking you. And if you see another believer struggling or wandering, remember that God cares about them too — don't look down on them, but help them find their way back.