we rejoiced when he did

Jesus said: “I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.”
— Luke 15:7

Jesus did not resemble the kind of shepherd the religious leaders expected. What unsettled them was not only his teaching, but the people who gathered around him. He welcomed tax collectors and known sinners — men and women whose failures were public and whose reputations were well established in everyone's mind. These were people already dismissed. The leaders could not understand why he moved toward them instead of protecting his own standing.

What they missed was the heart of God.

God's posture toward the lost is not reluctant tolerance but active pursuit. The shepherd does not wait for the sheep to correct him or herself. He goes after them. It all begins with him. Yes, repentance is real and necessary, but it follows being found. The initiative belongs to the shepherd.

This challenges the way we imagine God. We often assume he prefers the ninety-nine — those who appear stable, consistent, and respectable. We believe that straying or wandering reduces our worth. Yet Jesus spoke of heaven rejoicing over one sinner who repents. And that joy is not reluctant. It's glorious!

At its core, this passage teaches that salvation begins with being sought.

We are not the hero of this story. We are the sheep. And the good news is not that we found our way back, but that the shepherd came looking for us….
‍ ‍…and rejoiced when he found us.

(Steven Morales, Pray the World, emphasis mine)