5th Week of Advent 2015

The Judean hillside was dark and dangerous under the new moon. The Shepherd had to be doubly vigilant as he searched the rocky hills. Evening had been drawing to a close, and he was process of putting his flock up for the night when he noticed that one little lamb was missing yet again. He finished corralling his group of fat tailed sheep, gave instructions to his hired workers, and then set off into the inky darkness. Now he was miles away, tired and dirty, but intent on finding that one little lamb. The hired hands thought he was foolish; he had seen as much in their eyes as he had turned to leave. They believed he should just cut his losses. After all, this was almost a weekly occurrence with this lamb. Every few days, the Shepherd had to leave the rest of the flock to hunt this wayward one down, risking life and limb to bring him back into the fold. The hired hands didn’t understand; for them it was just one lamb out of hundreds. Losing it was understandable, an acceptable loss, because it was only a job. It wasn’t merely a job for the Shepherd. These were his Father’s sheep, and his Father cared for them deeply. His Father had entrusted the care of the sheep to him, and no losses were acceptable. The Shepherd loved the sheep and would not leave even one to perish. 

After climbing and descending two more ridges, the Shepherd heard a frantic bleat coming from a dry creek bed. The now defunct stream had cut a deep gash in the earth before it had dried up, and the little lamb had tumbled into it with no way out. If the Shepherd had not come to rescue it, the lamb would surely have been dead by morning. In fact, something large was moving in the brush upstream, searching for the source of the frantic cries. With great care, the Shepherd made his way down the bank to the scrabbling lamb. He picked it up, checked it for injuries, and then climbed out of the stream. As he turned toward home, the fast pace of the lambs tiny heart began to slow, and the bleats of panic subsided.
 

We tend to compartmentalize our holidays. When my eldest son was three years old, we found ourselves having a deep spiritual discussion concerning a song I was practicing. How do you explain Jesus’ death on the cross to a three year old? I started with baby Jesus in the manger; a story he knew well. Then I began to tell him about Jesus’ life and his ministry. Finally, I told him that the men who were in charge didn’t like what Jesus was doing so they killed him. My son’s response was filled with horror. His little head snapped around, and his eyes grew big as he shrieked, “They killed Baby Jesus?!?” The misunderstanding of a three year old is not that different from the spiritual laziness of an adult. How often do we leave Jesus in the manger? We step into a quaint nativity scene filled with non-fragrant animals, clean shepherds, a solid and strong Joseph, and a Mary who is calm and at peace despite experiencing the agony of childbirth sans modern painkillers. With sweet music like Silent Night playing in the background, we gaze lovingly at this tiny, defenseless baby whom God has sent from heaven. Our hearts overflow as we marvel at the wonder of this magical baby who never cries, spits up, or needs a diaper changed. 

But the truth is, if anyone is a tiny defenseless babe, its us. Each of us has been, or still is, the little lamb lost and alone. We were the silly little thing that left the fold, so sure in ourselves and our own intellect, and fell into danger that sought to kill us. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, came to seek and save the lost. He came, died on the cross, and rose from the grave that we might be rescued from the pit where we found ourselves. He came and took the penalty for our mistakes by dying in our place. Our only hope is to accept this free gift by following Him. Christ died for everyone, but not everyone experiences his salvation. Receiving it is a choice; it costs us our life. We, just like the lamb, must allow the Shepherd to pick us up and carry us to safety. We can't be in  control if we claim to be followers of Christ. He is the Shepherd; we are the lamb. But there's more. Now this baby in the manger sits in power and glory at the right hand of the Father, waiting for the proper time to return to earth for His sheep. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may the truth of who Jesus is empower you to follow Him not just during holidays or Sunday services, but in every step of every day. May your focus be on the glorious future promised to those who follow the Shepherd. And to the sheep that are still lost in the wilderness, may the truth of who Jesus is cause you to stop wandering, to stop searching, to surrender your life to Him.   
 
“Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” –Revelation 7:16-17


(All scripture taken from the New International Version)