Sunday School: Parable of the Lost Sheep

Sheep are not the cuddly, fluffy, pure white creatures we see in paintings
and picture books. They are dirty, smelly, noisy and interested in only one thing –
food. They wander wherever they want to go and do not pay attention to the
dangers of world around them. They often walk off cliffs, in the path of wolves and
other predators and are easily separated from the flock.

For this reason, shepherds often took their flocks out together. If one got
lost, then, helpers would watch those that did not wander while the shepherd.
Shepherds often loved their sheep the way we love our pets. If a sheep or a lamb
was too weak to walk, they would carry the sheep on their shoulders. If a lost
sheep was found, everyone would rejoice.

Shepherds and sheep appear often in the pages of the Bible. Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David were shepherds. The Bible calls God our
shepherd. He feeds us, guides us safely through the wilderness, finds us when we
are lost, binds up our wounds and carries us home. Jesus calls Himself the Good
Shepherd. We hear His voice, we follow Him and He lays down His life for us. The
Christian Church from the very beginning called its leaders pastors, which comes
from the Latin word for shepherd. God calls pastors to care for His people – His
sheep – the way He cares for them.

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana