Day 3 - Love That Pursues the Broken

by Marie Jarvis and Lesley Gould

Glasgow, Scotland

Scripture:  Luke 15:1–7

Have you ever lost something so precious that everything in you stopped until it was found? A piece of your favourite jewellery. A child wandering in a shop. A phone with years of memories. In that moment, nothing else matters—your heart moves instantly toward what is missing.

This is the image Jesus portrays in Luke 15. He wants us to feel the urgency, the ache, the love of a shepherd who notices when one of his flock is missing. Jesus wants us to know this:

• You matter to God.

• Your wandering matters.

• Your return matters.

• You are not forgotten in a crowd—He knows your absence instantly.

In this parable we have two groups of people: the outcasts and the religious. The religious were grumbling and gossiping about Jesus, practically jeering at Him because He spent time with sinners, who they viewed as unworthy and untouchable.

Jesus, unfazed by this, began to tell the parable of the lost sheep. He doesn’t just tell a story. He gets people to imagine they are the owner of the sheep, and not just the shepherd. A good shepherd will obey his master’s wishes and look after the sheep, but the owner will go the extra mile to protect his sheep.

The Good Shepherd

In his book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, author Phillip Keller, who once worked as a sheep rancher,  writes, “There was one summer when sheep rustling was a common occurrence in our district. Night after night the dog and I were out under the stars, keeping watch over the flock by night, ready to defend them from the raid of the rustlers.” This kept the rustlers from his land and protected his sheep.

The Father is that shepherd. He goes to great lengths to protect His sheep. The lost sheep is anyone who has wandered from God because of sin, distraction, deception or brokenness. Yet, the Father goes looking for them.

It’s so easy for us to say, “I have found God,” but He is the one looking for us. God pays attention to the individual, not just the crowds. Even now, He is looking to each one of us to restore us back to His flock when we are going astray.

God is persistent, patient and unwilling to give up because He wants everyone to come to repentance. The lost sheep does not rescue itself. God’s grace finds us before we find Him. He carries us back to His flock with loving tenderness, no matter what state He finds us in. Of course, we need to surrender to Him and allow ourselves to accept His grace.

In Glasgow, we are a small church, but in 2025 we have seen God rescue women from the world and place their feet on the rock. It has created much joy, celebration and rejoicing here amongst us, but even more so in heaven as God writes those women’s names in the book of life.

Lesley Gould - My Story:

When I look at the parable of the lost sheep, I think of me! Like that sheep, I thought that life was better somewhere else, somewhere way more exciting. I left the security of my home in Somerset to seek my fortune in London.

London seemed like a very exciting place, but in reality it’s a very lonely place, and hard to make friends. I found a job prior to moving, but the people that I worked with lived outside of London in the suburbs. My flatmates were nice, but apart from a few words exchanged in the kitchen, that was it!

I always had a faith in God from being a child, so I went out and visited some churches on Sunday. The churches were busy, but people there kept to themselves, so I didn’t go back.

One evening, a lady invited me to church. I agreed to go, but I didn’t think anything more of it until Sunday morning when my flatmate knocked on my door and told me that there was someone on the phone asking for me! I agreed to go to church with her, but I must admit I was a little cautious – after all this was London and I didn’t know this lady – who knows what could happen to me?

The church met in St Johns Wood, and it took ages to get there from my home in Muswell Hill. The people at the church were nice, but it was different from what I was used to – it was noisy and people kept hugging each other – which was very strange to me! I was unsure about the whole thing, but I agreed to go to the sister’s house the next evening for a Bible study.

The Bible study was quite straightforward. I was happy to accept that the Bible was God’s word and that I wasn’t a Christian. My problem was that I didn’t want to spend so much time going to meetings. I could see that God wanted commitment from me – and I wasn’t willing to give it! I started to avoid communication with the lady and avoided her calls. In the end, I was honest and told her that I wasn’t interested.

In the meantime, I changed jobs and moved from North London to Putney in South London. About a year later, I was coming out of the underground station and was stopped by two young women. They invited me to a Bible discussion. I didn’t live locally, so one of them said that they would pass my details to a lady that lived near me in Putney. Soon after, she phoned and invited me to a Bible discussion at a brother’s flat the following Friday evening. When I arrived at the flat, I could feel the love! The people were so welcoming and so very hospitable. I studied the Bible and about two weeks later I was baptised.

I felt like that sheep – I was lost, but God went out looking for me. I was getting on with my life, but God was there, putting the right people in my path and eventually, I was found.

Our Place in the Parable

The parable in Luke 15:1-7  invites us to see ourselves honestly. At different times in our walk, we’ve all wandered from God’s grace—not intentionally, not rebelliously—but gradually, quietly, through distraction, hurt, fear, or sin. The Good Shepherd leaves the comfort of the flock, steps into the dark places, and lifts us onto His shoulders when we’re too exhausted, too broken, or too ashamed to walk home on our own.

God never stops reaching out for us. Wherever you are today—strong, wavering, wandering, or weary—your Shepherd knows your name. He knows the path you took, the place you slipped, and the fears you don’t speak aloud. And He is already on His way to gather you, lift you, and bring you home with joy. This means God did not rescue us once—He continues to rescue us. And His response is always the same:

• Pursuit

• Restoration

• Joy

And this is where Lesley’s story becomes a living picture of the Shepherd’s heart—because testimonies are the modern echoes of Luke 15. They are proof that Jesus is still searching, still finding, still carrying His daughters home.

Heaven rejoices over every step you take toward Him. Your repentance matters. Your restoration matters. Your story matters.

Just as we rejoice over the women God has rescued here in Glasgow, all of heaven rejoices over you—your salvation, your growth, your return, your healing. So today, let the Shepherd lead you, find you and carry you, because you are not just one of many—you are His beloved one.

Questions for Reflection:

This parable is not primarily about a sheep who got lost — it’s about a Shepherd who loves so deeply that He refuses to stop searching until the lost one is safe.

1. Do you see God’s incredible deep love for you? Why or why not?

2. Are you drifting away from the flock? If so, what impact is this having in your life? Who can you seek guidance from to help you?

3. Do you have the same yearning as God for those who are lost? Is there someone who God is calling you to have the same yearning to pursue with His shepherd-like heart?

Today I Will:

Accept in my heart, how wide, long, high and deep the Shepherd’s love is for me, and with the overflow of this love, I will reach out with persistence and patience to someone who has strayed from God’s presence.

About the Authors:

Marie Jarvis is married to Michael and they lead the Glasgow Church in Scotland, UK. They have two children, Lorna and Sam, who are disciples.

Lesley Gould is retired and married to Andy a driving instructor. They live in Glasgow and have one son Joshua.