And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’” vs. 6
Luke 15:3-10
Because the parable of the lost sheep is so familiar we sometimes don’t even question the lunacy of the shepherd. Even in those pastoral times it’s doubtful that any shepherd would leave ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness and then go searching for one who had gone missing. It doesn’t make any sense. And Jesus knew it! That’s why he told the parable. He knew the story would show just how much God loves sinners and explains why he spent so much time with the broken and lost people that the righteous religious folks had written off. We love this message of Jesus, and we like to imagine ourselves snuggled in the arms of Jesus and being carried home. But it gets a lot harder when we adopt radical shepherding in our congregations. People get resentful when pastors begin to focus on the least and the lost in their ministry. Some feel abandoned and miss the attention. To put it crassly, some congregants don’t see how the broken folks can help them pay the bills! Jesus gave his full attention to sinners and made no distinction between them and the righteous. And if even one person could be reached with the good news, it was worth a celebration.
Thought for the Day: Have I been more a sheep or a shepherd?
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