In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus talks about a man who has a hundred sheep and one goes astray. He leaves the ninety-nine behind to go in search of that lost one. And when he finds it, he rejoices greatly. He says,”I just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”
In the first reading today from Isaiah 40, the prophet says: “A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ I answer, ‘What shall I cry out?’ ” He is then told what he should cry out. The message of the Lord then gets bigger, exhorting Zion to to “go up onto a high mountain…Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out..” God instructed not just Isaiah, but all the people to cry out.
I believe that God is calling us to do the same. Cry out! Fear not to cry out! And the message that we need to cry out is the same message that it was for all the prophets of old. “Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm.” I think the message that we need to cry out contains three key components: 1) Repent. (Not a very popular message, but a necessary one.) 2) God loves you. 3) God will take care of you, no matter what. The world may not listen, but that’s okay. God still needs strong people like you to Cry out!
Father, give us the strength and courage today to Cry out! Help us to communicate your will and your word to all the world. Amen.
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