In the parable of the lost sheep and the joy of the shepherd who finds it, Jesus has drawn a picture of the way God deals with the sinner. For the erring person it is a thousand times easier to come back to God than to come home to the biting criticisms of humans. If we throw ourselves on the mercy of God, we will find that his love is greater than human foolishness, greater than the allure of temptation, greater even than the deliberate rebellion of the human heart. May we always find new heart, courage and inspiration in the knowledge of this forgiving love of our God for each and every one of us.