Big Rocks for Strong Christ-Followers
Today’s Big Rock: The Value of One! Part II

Scripture Foundation: Luke 15:7

“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!”

Once we understand how valuable we are to God, then we can take the next step to understand the value of everyone around us.

For most Christ-followers, we tend to forget that “Value of One!” Our tendency is to see the value of hundreds and thousands, but not one.

When we see a mega church that has thousands in attendance, it seems more important that a little country church that has 25 attending on Sundays.

We try not to be more impressed with large ministries. We know better than to think that a little church does not matter, yet we struggle with our humanness.

The world saturates us with the view that bigger is better! There certainly is not anything wrong with bigger numbers but we need to see things from God’s perspective.

Jesus came to redeem us and to help us see life from a Godlike point of view.

In Luke 15, Jesus gives three quick parables to help us remember the value of one!

The first is the parable of the one lost sheep. The good shepherd realizes that one of his sheep has wondered off, so he leaves the 99 others and goes to rescue the lost one. Jesus adds one more important element beyond the fact that the shepherd finds his lost sheep:

“And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’” (Luke 15:5-6)

Jesus wants us to truly understand how important and how valuable ONE really is. Despite the hard work, there is great joy in carrying the sheep home. The shepherd takes the time and money to plan a party due to the value of one sheep!

We might think this one parable would be enough to make Jesus’s point. However, Jesus drives home the Value of One by giving two more parables with the same message: The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10) and the Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-31).

If you spend a lot of energy to see one person come to Christ, just remember that ONE person is worth all the effort that you gave to help them find Jesus!

Father, help me to value each person around me as much as you do! In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.