Can We Help God Rejoice?

Scripture — Luke 15:3-7 (NRSV)

So [Jesus] told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Devotion

Every time I read this parable, I’m reminded of something that happened about 20 years ago. My family and I had a new Golden Retriever puppy named Sandy. We immediately fell in love with her. A few months after we adopted her, we went to the local mountains for a vacation, staying in a cabin in the forest. Somehow, Sandy got out and decided to explore the woods.

When we realized that she was gone and in utterly unfamiliar territory, my family and I were terrified. What if we couldn’t find her? What if she were injured? What if she were run over by a car? Our minds raced with all sorts of horrifying what-ifs.

Linda and I knew we needed to go looking for Sandy. But what should we do with our children, who were both under ten years old? We didn’t want to leave them “in the wilderness” like the shepherd in the parable of Jesus. But we knew that they might have a hard time keeping up with us as we searched for Sandy. So we decided to leave them at the cabin with instructions to look for Sandy in case she came back.

This story has a happy ending. After searching for Sandy for about 15 minutes, I found her resting under a tree. She seemed to be unconcerned about her situation. In her opinion, she wasn’t lost, but just exploring the forest. I felt a great sense of relief and powerful joy. I was so, so glad that Sandy had been found.

Remembering this episode, I can understand why the person in Jesus’s parable was so happy. It makes perfect sense that he would say to his friends and neighbors, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost” (v. 6). Such great joy!

But what comes after the end of this story is unexpected, even surprising. Jesus adds, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (v. 7). Jesus does not explicitly say who in heaven is rejoicing. It could include the angels. But, given the way Jews in the first century AD talked, it’s certain that Jesus includes God the Father as the main “rejoicer.” To put it in plain language, God is overjoyed when a sinner repents.

Honestly, there’s a part of me that would like to ask Jesus: “Really? God rejoices greatly when a sinner repents?” After all, repentance isn’t something we produce by our own efforts. As it says in Romans 2:4, “Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” Were it not for God’s gracious kindness, we would not be able to repent. When we do repent, this is evidence of God’s work in our hearts. Yet, according to Jesus, when someone repents, God doesn’t sit back and reflect on God’s own awesomeness. Rather, God rejoices exceedingly.

The more I reflect on this passage from Luke, the more I am astounded. The God of the Universe, the God who makes all repentance possible, actually rejoices when I repent?!?! Is Jesus saying that I can somehow help God rejoice? Yes, this is the point of the parable in Luke 15:3-7. Amazing!

Apart from being amazed by this truth, I find myself wanting to give God this kind of joy. After all, God has given so much to me, more than I can ever comprehend. If, by turning away from my sin and turning to God, I can give God a reason to rejoice, then I want to do this very thing.

I’m struck by how thinking of giving God joy alters my motivation to turn back from my sin. I tend to think of my sin as dishonoring God (which is true), and therefore repentance as a way to honor God (which it is). I can focus on not making God unhappy or angry because of my sin. But when I consider the possibility of giving God joy, my desire to repent increases significantly.

When I think of my life as a father, I can begin to understand God’s joyful response to our repentance. When my children did something wrong and were confronted, sometimes they were defensive, perhaps even evasive. At times, they tried to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. (Oh, I get this, by the way, completely. My children are so much like me!) But there were other times, times when they admitted their error and felt sorry. On such occasions, I felt glad about their willingness to own up to their improper behavior and turn from it.

In Jesus Christ, God has done all that is required to make right what we have done wrong. Our job is to accept this work of grace, admitting our error, and receiving both God’s forgiveness and God’s restoration. When we do, we might feel relieved, perhaps even glad. But Jesus says that when we repent, the joy in heaven is great. Can you believe it?!?

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Riding on the Shoulders of the Good Shepherd.