A Homily on Matthew 18:12 – 14: The Shepherd Who Runs to the One (9-12-25)

A warm Advent reflection on Matthew 18:12 to 14, showing the deep value of one person in the heart of God.(9-12-25)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

A mother once had her three children playing in the hall while she worked in the kitchen preparing tea. Suddenly, she heard a sharp cry from the back room. She immediately put down everything and ran toward the cry. She lifted the child who was hurt, held him close, comforted him and dried his tears. When he became calm, another child asked her, do you love him more than us. She smiled and said, I love all three of you equally, but he needed me most right now. When one of you is hurting, I will always run to that one.

This simple family moment helps us enter todays Gospel. Jesus says the shepherd leaves the ninety nine and goes in search of the one. Many people find this difficult. Why risk the ninety nine for the sake of one. But Jesus is not speaking carelessly. He is revealing how the heart of God works.

In those days shepherds did not travel alone. When one sheep wandered away, one shepherd went after it while the others stayed with the flock, so the ninety nine were safe. But Jesus uses this image to teach something deeper. He wants us to look at the value of one person in Gods eyes.

Saint Ambrose says something very beautiful. He said, in the love of God, the weakness of one becomes the priority of heaven. Not because the ninety nine are loved less, but because the one who is wounded needs more tenderness at that moment. This is the nature of true love and love goes where the pain is. Love listens to the softest cry and love bends toward the most fragile heart.

The lost one is not always the one who sinned. Sometimes the lost one is the one who is too gentle for this world; the one who moves slower than others, the one whose heart gets hurt easily and the one who cannot keep up with the crowd. In our families we know this well. A child who becomes silent needs more attention than the one who talks freely. A parent who stays away from conversations is often carrying a hidden heaviness. A religious brother or sister who withdraws from the community may be hurting on the inside.

Logically speaking, the shepherd goes after the one because that is the one who is in danger. The ninety nine are together. They have each other. They are strong in their unity. But the one is alone, and whenever someone is alone, the danger is greater. Sadness left alone becomes heavier. Fear left alone grows deeper. Anger left alone becomes destructive. The shepherd knows that if he delays, the damage might become too deep.

This is why Jesus is teaching us to read between the lines. The Gospel is not just about a lost sheep. It is about how God measures worth. In human eyes one seems small and ninety nine seems big. But in Gods eyes, one person carries infinite value: one child in the house who feels ignored one spouse who silently suffers, one elderly parent who feels forgotten, one parishioner who comes to Mass but speaks to no one and God sees each one.

The first reading from Isaiah tells the same truth. God promises to comfort His scattered people and gather them close again. The Old Testament and the Gospel reveal one thing. God never abandons the weak and  He holds them even tighter.

Think of Joseph in Genesis. He was one among many brothers, overlooked and even rejected. Yet God saw him. God noticed his tears. And through him the whole family found salvation. The one who was ignored became the one through whom grace flowed.

This Advent Jesus invites us to have His eyes. To look around with the heart of the shepherd and ask, who needs a little extra care today. Who in my home is silently hurting? Who in my community is feeling alone? True love does not forget the ninety nine. It simply runs first to the one who needs help.

May our hearts become wider this Advent. May we learn to value each person as God values them. And may we never be afraid to run toward the one.

Lord Jesus, help me to love the lost one

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God Bless…