SHEEP AND SHEPHERDS...Lest we be misled, sheep are not easy animals with which to deal. Far from the fluffy, cuddly objects that occupy my granddaughter’s bedroom, sheep are famously timid, fearful animals. Pair this with the fact that effective vision extends less than fifty feet, and you have an animal that is easily startled and prone to bolting, without the ability to see where it is running! Truly a recipe for disaster, especially if the shepherd is inattentive or distracted or the sheep are the responsibility of a hired hand that just doesn’t care. Despite the difficulties inherent in caring for such fearful and demanding creatures, Matthew records that when Jesus saw the crowds, all coming to get something from Him, “He had compassion on the, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. This is the ministry to which our Good Shepherd has called us, to be there for the sheep we have been given; to be shepherds, and not hired hands. As important as passion is for effective ministry, compassion is even more important, for compassion is what is administered during the time of pain and grief and trauma and sorrow, and this is what will be especially remembered by a “sheep in distress.” You may become know for your passion, but you will be remembered for your compassion.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:18:12 +0000
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