Artist’s Statement

And Jesus told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:1-7

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, no doubt you have strayed away from Him from time to time. Being saved by grace through faith does not mean we are perfect, contented sheep that always obey and follow our wonderful Savior. The question beneath the Scripture above and of this sculpture is this: do you recognize that God pursues you relentlessly, even when you wander off? He pursues you even if you have not yet trusted in Him for eternal life, or whether you’ve wandered off from Him while being a believer for decades.

It’s amazingly true! God comes after us. Perhaps more amazing than that mere fact is that He comes after us even when we abandon Him. Wow!

And what does God do when He finds us, in our far-off place? (Remember, we’re the ones who left Him, who abandoned Him.) Does He beat us on the head with a baseball bat? Chide and scold us to make us feel guilty? Does He go off in a tirade over our waywardness? Certainly, many texts of the Bible affirm that God sometimes does discipline us (or as I like to say, “Spank us”) for our own good after we wander away. But the thrust of Luke 15:1-7 and this sculpture is that He also lifts us up and carries us home. That’s right, He picks up the wayward one and brings Him back into the experience of His love, mercy, forgiveness, and life.

Notice in this sculpture that the sheep on Jesus’ shoulders is still bleating. Maybe he’s just not completely ready to leave his far-off place. Maybe he does not know what’s going on, or why this person is lifting him up. Maybe, out of recognition of his waywardness, this sheep is confessing his sin and repenting! Either way, the Good Shepherd has come to carry him lovingly home. God’s love is greater even than our bleating and waywardness.

Notice also that the Shepherd is looking heavenward. That’s because Jesus rescues the wayward according to the will of the Father (John 10). Jesus’ looking up indicates that He’s doing what He’s doing with a loving eye on His Father in heaven. It also shows that Jesus is perhaps momentarily distracted by they noise of the party in heaven over the sheep that’s been found. Notice the text above, verse 7a, “…, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents….”

Do you recognize that Jesus loves and pursues you like this? Think on this text as you gaze at this sculpture and reconnect with the pursuing love of God. Let yourself be found by Him, for the first time or for the one hundred and first time. And then listen for the sounds of celebration in heaven even as you ride on the shoulders of God back to the fold.