Jesus a friend of sinners
What an unusual scene it must have been. It is not only rebutting the Pharisees, but as instructions to us.
The “How much more?” tactic
Jesus heals on the sabbath
Matthew 12:10 (NLT) 10 where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)
Lesser to greater. God’s love is always more.
Matthew 6:30 (NLT)
30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
The early church saw the Shepard as the incarnations (God becoming a man) for seek out humanity. The 99 were understood to be angles.
Modern scholars
God and Christ seeking the lost.
Ezekiel 34 is a dual oracle of judgment and salvation. It is an oracle of judgment on the shepherds and fat sheep who have oppressed the flock, and of salvation for the rest of the flock through the personal intervention of the Lord as their shepherd.
The 99 are not lost.
The parable does not speak to their condition other than they are not lost. The point is Jesus’ attention and effort are focused on the lost. God is not passive, but actively seeking the lost.
Unpacking
Jesus knows His sheep.
Why does the Great Shepherd care so much for His sheep?
They are His. They are not in the care of a hired hand. He is seeking personally.
How does it apply to Us?
That his grace is to determine how we treat others should cause us to be caring and sensitive.
We tend to know these truths abstractly, but they are not translated into practice either in how we view ourselves, in how we treat others, or in how we arrange church life.
That is why we are different in specific ways. Best of all our slogan
“Rock Church, “Where you Belong before you believe” We don’t just say we are wanting to reach the lost, we Intentionally do things to specifically reach the loss. Knowing that we are making ourselves less attractive to the 99/Christians. You do not have to change, to belong and to be loved.
It is God’s job to change people. Love Unconditionally, communicate that love with tenderness wisdom intact. Present and live the truth with a humble heart and a tear in our eye. God has involved us in his work of salvation. We are his representatives on earth.
We do not beat sheep, we feed them with love and respect.
If you are wandering
His attention is focused on YOU!
He has been laying plans to reach YOU!
He lifts you unto his shoulders
The Rock, Your Place to Belong
At the Rock, you can belong before you believe. Use the links to the right to begin your relationship with Rock Church. If you are local to Fargo, click the “free movie ticket” button to the right and check out one of our services, every Sunday at 10 AM, at West Acres Cinema. If you are not local to our area, that’s okay. There are all kinds of ways that you can participate in the happenings at Rock Church. We have many people that only interact with our church online. Use the “become a friend” button to be included in everything we are doing.
