The Shepherd And Overseer Of Our Souls Series

So she left the brothel, went back to the desert, and lived a life of great holiness, through whom many people were later healed. She is known to us today as St. Mary the harlot (Belden Lane, Bethany Press).

God cares for every sheep, the ninety nine unharmed sheep and the one missing sheep. He values healthy sheep, docile sheep, household sheep, and even black sheep, lost sheep, sick sheep, inferior sheep, and troublesome sheep. He identifies each one of them, searches them one by one, counts them on his fingers, pictures them in his mind, and safeguards every one of them - young or old, ram or ewe, and present or missing. He distinguishes sheep by their size and shape, their likes and dislikes, and their behavior and habits.

Jesus told three parables in Luke 15. In the first story, which is the parable of the lost sheep, and the percentage of the shepherd’s loss is low compared to the other two owners in the chapter. The shepherd loses one of one hundred sheep, the woman in the next parable loses one of ten coins, and the father in the last parable loses one of two sons, but no matter the percentage, the shepherd misses the one lost and not the percentage left; values the sheep and not its cost; and aims to succeed and not fail. There is no sheep a shepherd is willing to part with, give up, or hand over.

The shepherd’s love for every sheep in the flock is liken to the Great Shepherd who loves sinners who are undeserving, worthless, and misguided, even the reckless, clumsy, or nosey ones. Every loss is irreplaceable, senseless, and unacceptable. Hired hands cry wolf, run for cover, or blame the wayward sheep, but the Great Shepherd patiently, instinctively, and tirelessly pursues the lost sheep. No employee, dog, or pig can take his place, replicate his effort, or match his love. Fred Smith said it powerfully: “God does not love me because I am good. He loves me because I am precious, and I am precious because Christ dies for me.”

THE GREAT SHEPHERD LEADS EVERY SHEEP TO THE FOLD

5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. (15:5-6)

The Daily Bread told the account of a sociologist who was writing a book about the difficulties of growing up in a large family. He interviewed the mother of 13 children, mentioned several general questions, and asked the question deliberately: “Do you think all children deserve the full, impartial love and attention of a mother?” “Of course,” said the mother of 13 promptly. The sociologist then asked this tough question: “Well, which of your 13 children do you love the most?” She answered, “The one who is sick until he gets well, and the one who is away until he gets home.

My mental image of the Good Shepherd previously was formed by the many pictures of a shepherd and a lamb that appeared in books, bookmarks, and bookstores. The Good Shepherd in those pictures, typically, carried a photogenic little lamb like a child over his shoulders.

However, the picture of a serene shepherd and his poodle-like lamb is a far cry from the parable norm. The lost animal Jesus’ story was not the size of Mary’s cute, cuddly little lamb or an average lamb that weighs 125-130 lb, but a full-grown sheep that is 150-200lbs! The shepherd was carrying an animal equal to his weight or an adult’s weight! A more realistic painting was Morgan Weistling’s “The Lord is My Shepherd,” which depicted a shepherd in the fields struggling fiercely to carry a full-size sheep on his shoulders. http://www.ldsart.com/mw181.php