Dear Christian friends:

This Sunday is called Good Shepherd Sunday. Both the Epistle and the Gospel lesson tell of Jesus the Good Shepherd. Also the prayers chosen for this Sunday tell of the happiness of the Christians, His sheep.

We can learn much from the idea that God himself presents to us in the Good Shepherd. We easily misunderstand about our relationship with God. We always think that we must do many things for God, work, suffer and pay to make ourselves pleasing to Him, but really He wants to do great things for us and to us. He only can make us His sheep. We can't make ourselves His sheep.

Our text very plainly shows this. In it Jesus talks about: The Good Shepherd's Love for the Lost Sheep

First, in this picture of the good Shepherd and the lost sheep Jesus, shows us what God's will really is. Chiefly God's will is to find the lost and bring them back. So often we think God chiefly wants offerings from us. We see people say, "The Church only wants my money;" or they say, "I can't go to church because I have no money for offering." Or people think, "I can't go to church, I'm a sinner. I'm not a good enough person." Some deaf think, "I can go to church; I am a good enough person." Or they think, "I can go to church, I have some money to offer to God. I think I can please God." Both the first group and the last are wrong and misunderstood. Those who are afraid misunderstand and also those who are proud, brave and eager misunderstand.

God doesn't want our offerings neither what we offer in fear or in pride. He wants us to see ourselves as the lost sheep who have strayed away and cannot come back who don't want to come back. His chief will is to find the lost and bring them back. He says through Hosea, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." (Hosea 6:6)

How does He find the lost sheep? He finds them by winning forgiveness of sins. He took our sins upon Himself and suffered our punishment upon the cross as Peter writes for this Sunday, "He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree (cross), that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. For you were straying sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls."

Jesus by His death and resurrection won forgiveness of sins and life for us. In the Gospel Jesus says, "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep."

Jesus finds the lost sheep when He sends pastors, teachers, and missionaries to preach this Good News. When anyone hears and believes He is found. This is the chief will of God.

Now the questions is: Have you accepted the will of God, the will of the Good Shepherd? Do you consider yourself as a lost sheep? A sheep who has strayed away? Or do you think that you are one with the 99? Really nobody is like the 99. Everyone is born as a lost sheep.

When I first went to Great Falls, Montana in September 1945, Dr. Salver met me there on a Tuesday. He and I went around and visited all the deaf in that city and invited them to a church service the next Sunday afternoon. So that Sunday we had the first service and many deaf came. After the service one of the deaf men asked if he could talk to the people, so we let him talk. He was the printing teacher from the School for the Deaf, himself a deaf man. He told the people: "The Lutheran Church is a very good Church because it sends pastors to seek for the lost sheep among the deaf." After he talked two deaf men came to me and said they wanted to study and join the church. Some already had joined.

I never forgot what the deaf man said. He was right we are all lost sheep and Jesus comes to find us through His Church. That is the chief will of Jesus - to find the lost sheep.

Do you agree with His will? You don't if you despise others or think yourself better than others. In our text Jesus says, "Be careful not to despise one of these little ones, I tell you their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven." God wants every lost sheep to come home and He is very glad; also the angels are very glad when a lost sheep is found and comes back to the flock. God despises no one. If you confess that you are a lost sheep and that Jesus has found you, how can you think yourself better than another lost sheep? You need God's mercy as much as the other person.

Don't despise him. But let Jesus use you to find him and lead him back to God's flock. By that you show that you agree with God's will to find the lost.

It is hard for us to believe that God loves sinners and forgives them. That is why we need to hear His Word often all of our life. My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me.

Amen.