The lost sheep and the lost coin

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THE parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin (cfr. Lk

15,1-10) remind us that instead of distancing ourselves from those who

are in error or even who are in some conflict with ourselves, or with

whom we have serious differences, we should rather give them some

special attention, concern and care. That is what Christ wants to

impart in us through these parables, and we should just try our best

to learn and live it with God’s grace.

          Like Christ, we should have the same love for everybody,

irrespective of how they are with us. They can even be our enemies.

Thus, Christ himself told us very clearly that we should love our

enemies. (cfr. 5,44) This is the kind of love that is the very essence

of God and that is also meant for us. It has a universal scope even if

it never compromises the truth. It can prefer to suffer and die for

the truth.

          On our part, we just have to learn to adapt our mind and

heart to this kind of love that God through Christ in the Holy Spirit

is actually sharing with us. We have to develop a certain compassion

for the lost sheep and know how, like Christ, we can fraternize with

those in error spiritually and morally, or at least with those wrapped

up with all sorts of weaknesses.

          If we are truly Christian, we should have a true and abiding

compassion toward everyone, especially the poor and the needy. But we

have to understand that compassion should have a universal coverage.

It should not be limited to the sentimental aspects of things, nor to

relieving the economic and material needs of people alone. It lets us

enter and get involved in the life drama of the others.

          It should cover the whole range of human needs in their

proper order of importance, foremost of which is our need for God. We

have to learn to distinguish between the pressing and precious needs

of man, and to cope with the tension that sometimes arises in our

effort to put these two kinds of needs together.

          The material needs of man may be pressing and urgent, but

these should not detract us from giving priority attention to the

precious spiritual needs of man to relate himself with God and others

in true love, irrespective of whether he is rich or poor, a prince or

a pauper.

          It’s true that looking after the pressing material needs of

people can already be an overwhelming task. This should not be

attended to on an ad hoc basis only, giving dole-outs and temporary

relief. This has to be given stable and effective solutions, like

creating jobs, enabling poor people to find work through education and

continuing training, especially considering that the world economy is

rapidly evolving, etc.

          But over and above this concern is the care of the more

important necessity of man—his spiritual life, his relation with God

that should be developed according to God’s love and concern for

everyone, and thus, his relation with everybody else. Christ himself

gave more importance to forgiving sins than to curing the paralytic.

(cfr Mk 2,1-12)

          We have to learn how to fraternize with everyone, especially

replicating Christ’s attitude towards sinners, who actually are all of

us—of course, in varying degrees. We have to give special attention to

the lost sheep and to the lost coin. We have to open all possible

avenues to be in touch with all sinners.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com