Grace throws all the rules out the window.

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Listen to my song “The Way You Are” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Matthew 18:12-13

Jesus said, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.”

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Again, Jesus turns our culture’s ways upside down.

He said the shepherd rejoices more over the found lost sheep than all those who didn’t stray.

I can hear all the self-righteous people listening to Jesus as he told this parable saying, “What! What about us?”

Such people so often have a problem with grace being given to the stray; you know, the person who has made mistakes and is now down and out.

Jesus seems to be purposely pressing their buttons knowing full well how the human ego likes to get credit for simply doing the right thing.

Why are those people not thrilled that the person who screwed-up is being brought back to the fold with no questions asked?

“What about us?” they seem to be shouting.

“Where is our reward?”

I think Jesus would say, “Your reward is in the doing of good. Why are you not happy for your wayward brother or sister?”

And as for the stray, we also might ask ourselves: Who are today’s “strays” due to being rejected?

Who are the ones shunned in today’s society?

Who are the ones not being treated with equality?

Jesus would also be out searching for them, hoping to return them to the fold.

Each of us is called to do the same.

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Listen to the song of the day “The Way You Are” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Purchase my book “Mercy Reigns: A Daily Devotional of Compassion, Comfort and Healing” on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Remember: God loves you!