Reflection for December 9 Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent: Matthew 18:12-14

Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? 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. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

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Reflection:

Can we measure God’s love for us?

No, because God’s love is not bound by any kind of measurement, nor is it limited by time and space. Even when we fall into sin, even when we stray far from Him, God continues to love us without condition and without end.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep in our Gospel beautifully reveals this truth. Who is the man who leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one that is lost? He is our loving and merciful God. And who is the lost sheep that goes astray? It is us. We are the ones who falter, who oftentimes choose sin over grace, and who forget how deeply we are loved.

Yet, despite our weaknesses and failures, God never gives up on us. Even when we run away from His love, He constantly looks for us. He is ever ready to forgive, ever ready to embrace us once again, and ever willing to restore us to Himself. How comforting it is to know that our God does not keep count of our sins but measures everything according to His infinite love.

As we reflect on this, let us be mindful of the mercy we ourselves have received. Let us not be quick to judge others who struggle with sin, for we, too, are in need of compassion and grace. Instead of condemning, let us imitate God who seeks, who reaches out, and who gently lifts the lost sheep back to the fold.

Rather than judging those who fall, let us help one another rise again. Let us walk with one another, so that together we may be freed from the bondage of sin. Many remain lost not because God has abandoned them, but because no one has shown them His love through ours. When we choose not to reach out, when we withhold mercy, God’s love remains untasted by those who need it most.

So today, we ask ourselves: Are we quick to judge, or are we willing to love?

Are we content to stay with the ninety-nine, or will we dare to go out and seek the lost?

How will we allow God’s infinite love to flow through us—so that others may finally know they are never beyond His mercy? — Marino J. Dasmarinas