Second Week of Advent - Tuesday

In today's society it is difficult to reflect upon shepherds and their relationship with their sheep. Shepherds spent so much time tending their flocks that they would become very familiar with their sheep. They would have names for their sheep not unlike those who in our times have names for the whales or sharks or gorillas that they study. They would know the sheep's tendencies. Each and every sheep became a thing of value to the shepherd and to the flock community. When one sheep got lost or disappeared it was extremely upsetting to the shepherd. The shepherd would do what ever it took to restore the sheep to himself. Matthew tells the story like this:

Matthew 18:12-14 King James Version (KJV)

¹²How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

¹³And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

¹⁴Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

That is how important you are to the Shepherd. That is how much He loves you.

Open our eyes Lord. Open our hearts Lord that we might realize our importance in Your eyes. Allow us to rest in that peace. Amen. - DD