A shepherd looked after 100 sheep in a large pasture. When one was lost, he left the others to look for it. Do you know this story about the good shepherd? Jesus told them often. As children we learned them in Sunday school, and later we perhaps performed plays to them. As adults, we hear sermons about it. But have you ever thought about what Jesus is trying to tell us?
Discipleship is a trendy term today, but are we really making disciples? What does discipleship according to Jesus’ example mean? And how does the story of the Good Shepherd looking for the lost sheep fit into this?
Almost 10 years ago I became a mother for the first time. Today we have four girls. My oldest daughter, Abigail, was often there when I baked a cake. She was interested and inquisitive. I showed her how to bake and she followed along. As she got older, she baked herself and I gave feedback. Today she shows her sister Melissa how it's done. In the years since becoming a mother, I have learned more and more about what Jesus meant by discipleship. The Bible shows us the parallel between natural and spiritual families. Discipleship is like raising children: teaching and empowering until they DO everything on their own. This is how it is thought in the natural family and the same in the spiritual realm. In a knowledge society in which we live, the focus is more on imparting knowledge than on teaching to do. However, Jesus' model shows us that the focus of discipleship à la Jesus is on doing. If we don't do what Jesus said, we miss the kingdom of God.
Jesus not only taught, but practically showed his disciples how to heal and cast out demons. Then he sent his disciples to do it themselves. Discipleship means doing Jesus' commandments, not just knowing them. Have you thought about the meaning of the story of the Lost Sheep? Jesus left the community of 99 sheep to look for the one lost one. Do you act like that too? Do you spend time in the harvest? What good is it that we know the story but don't implement what Jesus wants to say with the story...
In addition to my four natural children, I now have many spiritual children. The spiritual upbringing of a newborn is, in addition to the love/worship of God, the most central and challenging task of every disciple, but also one of the most beautiful.
Are you living according to Jesus’ instructions? Love God? Are you making disciples? Are you looking for the lost? Do you heal the sick? Let us do what Jesus taught and pass it on to our natural and spiritual children until they DO it themselves.
But the grace of the Lord is always and forever upon those who serve him with reverence. This is how he deals with those who keep his covenant, who remember his instructions and live accordingly.
Psalm 103:18
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