SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/24/2022 10:39 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “Believers’
Relation to Christ”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
18:12-13
Message of the verses: “12 “What do you
think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he
not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that
is straying? 13 “And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he
rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.”
I want to begin this SD by talking about how the
shepherd knew that one of his sheep was missing. It is possible that because he knew his sheep
so well that he could have sensed that one of them was missing without checking
the entire number of sheep. As we think
about John 10:1-18 we can see from that section that the shepherd knew his
sheep intimately, both as a flock and also individually. MacArthur adds “He therefore instinctively
knew when something was wrong or when one of them was missing. He was also an expert at tracking lost sheep,
and love for his defenseless and utterly dependent flock would not allow him to
give up until he had found and rescued the one that was missing. The loyal shepherd would fight off wolves,
bears, lions, thieves, and any other threat to the sheep. When an errant animal was found the shepherd
would pour olive oil over any wounds or scratches and he would bind up a broken
leg. He would then tenderly place the
sheep on his shoulders and carry it back to the field.”
Now
we can see from this parable that Christ’s love is illustrated in that of the shepherd
that He certainly is, and that love is personal and also individual for each of
His sheep, (that all of His believers). Our
Lord is as much aware and concerned when a poor believer in the slums wanders
from Him as when a respected church leader stumbles into sin.
There
is another illustration that this parable illustrates, and that is the truth
that the Lord’s care for His people is very patient. He is infinitely patient with their
self-willed, sinful foolishness and He will not give up on a single one of
them, even though that person might be the least promising and least faithful
of all His children. I truly believe
this, and yet being a human being I have to say that it is difficult to really
understand it even though I have seen it in my own life many times.
MacArthur
writes “We also see here God’s seeking care.
He does not wait for a lost sheep to return on its own but personally
goes as far into the wilderness as necessary to find and rescue it. The Savior is infinitely more anxious and
determined for restoration than is even the most repentant believer.”
Lord
willing we will finish this section in our next SD.
12/24/2022 10:59 AM
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