Luke 15:1-7…
The lost sheep…
When we lose or misplace something, we trace our steps, we ask other people, and we ponder where we have been and where it could be. We don’t give up until we find it, whatever it is. The more valuable the thing is to us, the harder and longer we try to recover it. If and when we do, we celebrate, it is a huge relief. Everyone is this way.
Jesus was saying the same to the crowd gathered to hear Him. The crowd was a mix of the religious leaders, the hated tax collectors, and the despised “lowlife sinners”. The Pharisees and scribes were grumbling that Jesus would keep company with “lesser” people.
What they failed to realize is that compared to Jesus, we are all lowlife’s. The people who can really get something from Jesus’ teaching are the ones who know they are lost and need help finding the way, not those who think they are already walking right along in the first place. Yes we advance in the faith, but we never advance beyond repentance. Jesus wants people to remember where they came from, that all need rescuing.
Jesus’ short story tells us about the Father’s love for the lost, but it also tells us what our attitude toward the lost should be as well. We need to be confident in what God’s grace can do for any person; especially those who we think are “lost causes”. Jesus specializes in them, and truthfully, that’s all of us (Isaiah 53:6). After we have received Christ as our Savior, a mark of our walk is that we become humbly grateful not grumbly hateful.
When people find the way of hope in God through the knowledge of Jesus, we should rejoice. That’s what heaven does, and that’s where we are going. In fact, that’s also a good test to see if you are really going there.
9 comments:
Excellent post honey.
Why do some sheep hear Him calling and some don't and why do some of His sheep follow and some don't?
To the anonymous,
This answers your question. (Even So) "People who can really get something from Jesus' teaching are the one who know they are lost and need help finding the way"
The reason some (or most) don't is they don't think their lost and don't think they can need teaching. In fact God's Word said,
"John 10:2-5 "But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice."
(Even So)"not those who think they are already walking right along in the first place."
Hope this helps...
P.
Great post! Thanks.
P.
Why do some sheep hear Him calling and some don't and why do some of His sheep follow and some don't?
All those who are actually sheep will eventually follow. Those who do not are not really sheep; they are what Jesus calls goats.
THAT IS THE POINT. Those who do not or will not follow are not sheep in the first place.
They need to get saved.
Thank you Paul.
To anon; again, there are no such thing as sheep who do not follow. This is the point Jesus is trying to make. The religious leaders were not following Jesus (the Great Shepherd) because they were not actually God's sheep.
Also, remember that sheep are FOUND, they are rescued, they don't determine on their own to be sheep.
yeah that was great JD! We aren't able to make that decision with our own power!!
P.
Yeah Paul, because we have NO power.
Praise the Lord for Jesus Christ and His righteousness!
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