1-24-2021

      Good Morning All,   

          Luke 15:4; “Suppose a man has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the 99 sheep grazing in the pasture and look for the lost sheep until he finds it?”

     Do you think her name was Molly?  Molly seems like the name of a sheep that would get lost.  Molly seems like the name of a sheep that would either get left behind because she was not quite ready to go or else, she would take off ahead of everyone else, not sure of where they were going and then take a wrong turn and go the wrong way.  Molly was often lost; she would have cockleburs in her wool and usually be very dirty.  She was a very troublesome sheep.

    Other shepherds would have sold her or just left her when she wandered off.  Other shepherds would have calculated how much work she really was and would probably figure they were better off with her gone.  After all, it will not take long before some of the other sheep start following Molly’s lead and they too begin to wander and get lost.  Yet this shepherd was different.  This shepherd always went to look for Molly and bring her back to the flock.  He always cleaned her up, applied an ointment to her wounds, made sure she had fresh water and the best hay and made sure she was safe in the flock.

    Deep down, most of us are like Molly.  We tend to think only of ourselves and rarely about the consequences of our actions.  We tend to think that what we do “really isn’t that bad” or “it is just a choice we make.”  We fail to see the tremendous danger that we put ourselves in.  We fail to see that what we have with our shepherd is better than anything we look for.  Even as we look, we fail to think that we might get hurt or attacked by wolves when we are alone in the wilderness.  We never see the consequences of our actions and we never see that what we have is the best for us anyway. 

    We truly are “Mollies”.  We are sinful beings who selfishly look only to our own wants and desires.  Yet God has mercy on us.  He sent Jesus to be our savior, our shepherd on all occasions.  He sends Jesus to be the shepherd that always brings us back to the flock.  No matter how far we stray, Jesus is always looking for us to bring us back to the safety of his flock.  It is only in his loving care are all our needs met.  Other places may seem to offer good things but in the end; they always turn out poorly, they always end up with our destruction.  Yet no matter how many times we stray, Jesus is always bringing us back.  He is always calling us home to be safe with him. 

    So, return with Jesus to the flock.  It is time to stop thinking you know best and recognize that God has our best avenue ready for us.  Trust in his love to carry you safely through this journey of life.

Gracious and loving Father, in you we have the certainty of our salvation.  Keep us safely in your loving and protective arms.  Keep us from straying from your grace.  Be with those who find themselves lost and alone.in the dangers of the wilderness.  Send your Spirit to comfort them and to bring them home.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret