Treasures in Heaven
(Matthew 6:19-20)
19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven , where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd
4 What man among you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders.
Luke 15:4-5
Have you ever been to a farm with sheep or seen sheep in movies? It's really fun to watch them grazing, walking around, and resting in the pasture.
But did you know that sheep are fragile animals that live in groups and are cared for by a shepherd? No, he's not the pastor of the church, but he is a shepherd of sheep!
The sheep trust the shepherd, recognize his voice, and obey him because they know they are safe when he leads them. The shepherd provides them with food and fresh water and watches over their safety and health.
The Bible says we are like sheep cared for by Jesus, our good shepherd. Isn't that great?
But does Jesus care about all the sheep? Does he know them all and worry about each one? Ah… The answer can only be “yes,” and you’ll understand better by reading today’s story!
Come on?
For Jesus, Everyone Is Equal and Important
Bible Reference: Luke 15:1–7
In the time of Jesus, many people stopped to listen to Him speak. Some were truly interested in learning, but others did not have good hearts.
In fact, these evil people were simply there watching Jesus’ words and actions, trying to find something wrong with Him. Even though they could not find anything, they still spoke badly about Him, even though Jesus had no faults.
The same happened with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law—religious men who pretended to love God but did not truly love Him at all.
One day, seeing that many sinners were interested in Jesus’ teachings, these Pharisees said:
—This Jesus is really strange! Look at all these sinners around Him! He even eats with them! This is absurd!
When Jesus heard this, He decided to tell a parable, which is a kind of story, to help them understand why He helped all people.
—Oh, you think this is strange? Well, I will tell you a story.
And He continued:
—Let’s imagine a man who has 100 sheep. Then, one day, he realizes that one of them is missing.
What do you think he should do?
Everyone looked at Jesus, waiting to hear the rest of the story.
—Well, if this man is a good shepherd, he will never return home without all his sheep. Instead, he leaves the 99 sheep safe and goes after the one that was lost until he finds it. And when he finds it, he carries it in his arms with great joy, because the flock is complete again!
Jesus also added:
— This shepherd will do even more: when he gets home, he will gather his friends and neighbors and say to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!” He will do this because that sheep is important to him!
Okay, everyone understood the story, but what did Jesus mean by all this?
He explained it like this:
"Didn't you criticize me for paying attention to sinners and other simple people? To me, all people are equal and important! That's why I preach the Word of God to all of them. In heaven, there is more joy over one lost sinner who repented than over 99 hard-hearted people who think they are too good to learn from me and don't want to repent. That's why I go after the lost sheep and value it. Every life that wants to walk with me is precious!"
Thus, Jesus taught those Pharisees and false men what true love was. He cared for everyone, but not everyone wanted to believe in him and follow him.
What did you learn from the story of the lost sheep?
As you read at the beginning of the story, we are the sheep and Jesus is our good shepherd! In John 10:11, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Jesus gave his life for us. There on the cross, he worked so hard to save us! He shed his blood for all humanity.
Our Jesus treats us all as important people: we are very much loved by Jesus!
Jesus wants everyone to be saved. He feels immense joy when someone accepts him into their heart.
However, we must remember that sheep follow the shepherd because they trust and believe in him. The troubling thing is that not everyone believes in Jesus and wants to be his sheep, and Jesus always respects everyone's choice!
And you, do you want to be the sheep of the good shepherd? Jesus cares for us with great love, so the best thing we can do is choose to be close to Jesus every day!
It is TIME to PRAY
Jesus, today I learned that you are the good shepherd and I want to be your sheep. I know you love me and care for me, so I always want to be close to you. Thank you for treating me like an important person. I love you! Amen!
