Sheep, Episode 23 (12/20/2021)

Episode 23: A Sheep!

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?  And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. Matthew Chapter18: verses 12-13

Have you ever been in a crowded place and felt lost? Maybe you got separated from your mom and dad for a few minutes? 

I have been lost too. I was lost for several days before my shepherd found me. I missed him terribly and was afraid I would never see him again, but he found me. The love and joy of this moment made me feel such peace and security.

After my shepherd found me, he brought me, and the other sheep, as well as his other shepherd friends who brought all their sheep, and we went to a small cave where there was a small baby boy named Jesus. My shepherd and I knelt before Jesus who was resting in a manger and my shepherd said, “Thank you baby Jesus for helping me find my lost sheep today and thank you for coming to find me.”

During this Advent we celebrate the coming of Jesus, both at his birth in Bethlehem as well as Jesus’ coming into our lives right now, today. Jesus searches for us with unimaginable love and mercy because he desires to dwell with us – in our hearts and in every moment of our daily lives.

Dear Jesus, like a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one who has gone missing, thank you for coming after me by dwelling among us. I thank you especially for your forgiveness and mercy that you offer us so generously. Please keep me safe in your arms and in your holy presence. Amen.

Prayer Starter for Parents 

One of the best loved images for Jesus in the ancient Church was that of the Good Shepherd. Did you know that the earliest Christian artwork, found in the catacombs of Rome, depicts Jesus as the Good Shepherd? We love this image. But so does Jesus! He uses this image to describe himself to us! As a prayer starter today with your children, pray through these words of Jesus from the Gospel of John:

A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. But I came to give life—life in all its fullness.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
The worker who is paid to keep the sheep is different from the shepherd who owns them.
So when the worker sees a wolf coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep alone.
Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them.
The man runs away because he is only a paid worker. He does not really care for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me,
just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I give my life for the sheep.
John 10:10-15

What image most strikes you and your children? Where do you find the most comfort in this passage? What reassures you the most? Spend a couple minutes talking about that. The part of this passage that connects most with your heart, that really stands out, is the area where the Lord wants to work the most in you. After thinking about it for a minute, pray out loud asking the Lord do that thing for you. For example: "Jesus, you don't run away when the wolf comes. Please stand by me and keep safe when I am in danger." Or, "Jesus, you really care for your sheep. You never leave us. Help me to trust you more today and believe that you will never leave me."