“What About That One?”

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” — from Luke 19

In 1908 John felt a deep sadness for the people in the villages who did not know Jesus. His friends heard him praying, “Father, give me these souls or I die!” He asked God for one person every day who would believe in Jesus and be baptized.

Some of the big numbers in the old books about John cannot be checked today. But the mission’s records show that hundreds and hundreds of people were baptized in his district in those years. John said it was the work of “us”: himself and his Indian helpers together.

One morning John and two Indian preachers prayed, and they felt sure that God would give them ten people that day. They rode in a cart to a faraway village. They sang and preached all day long, but nobody was interested. The preachers grew hungry and thirsty and wanted to go home. John would not leave.

At last they stopped at a little house to ask for a drink. The man gave them milk as well as water, and invited them in. He already knew a lot about Jesus! He called his wife and children, and the whole family decided to follow Jesus. John baptized them all. That made nine.

By now it was getting dark, and the road home ran along a dangerous river bank. The preachers tried to get John into the cart, but he kept asking, “What about that one?”

Then the father came out. “Why, there he is!” he said. His nephew, a boy who lived with the family, had been out playing! The boy clearly believed in Jesus, so he was baptized too. “That is the ten,” said John, and climbed into the cart. They got home safely in the dark.

Jesus is like a shepherd who goes looking for one lost sheep. Every single person matters to him. That means you matter to him, too.

Dear Jesus, thank you that you came looking for me. Please help my friends who don’t know you to come to you too. Amen.