I want to give a special welcome to Claire Rhoads who has written today’s blog post.  Claire and I will be working together on this blog to share thoughts from the heart to encourage your heart.  Take a look at the About Us page to learn more about Claire.  Enjoy!

Sheep 

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

One of the things that amazes me about the Bible is that sometimes, there is a whole universe in one single verse. This is the case with Luke 12:32 – it’s juicy. We learn really important things not just about us, but about God and his character and how he relates to us. It’s an encouraging game changer!

Let’s unpack….

 “Fear not…”

There is a reason that Jesus is telling people not to be afraid. Life was scary for God’s people back then and now! At that time, Jesus’ followers could face some serious business – threats to their livelihood, their relationships – even death – for believing in him. Today, many of us face other fears – am I good enough? Will I have enough money to take care of my family? Are my kids going to go off the deep end? Will I ever be happy in my marriage? Is my job good enough? What if I don’t make a good name for myself?

“…little flock…”

Have you ever seen sheep? I mean… real sheep? If you live down here in the Charleston area, make a visit to Middleton Plantation and check out the flock of sheep that roams the grounds. Hello…they are really gross. It’s not really a compliment when Jesus calls us believers “little flock”. Real sheep have a reputation – they are dim-witted, they are dirty, they roam and get lost and need constant supervision and protection. They are weak and vulnerable to attack. We are these sheep.

Sometimes it’s hard to admit it, but we, too, are dirty with sin, are prone to wander and we are weak without God. But the wonderful counter-truth to this is that Jesus calls himself our Shepherd. Can you hear the affection in his voice as he says “little flock” – we are his little flock! In Psalm 23, David describes God as his shepherd, and that his “rod and staff, they comfort me.” This is comforting indeed.

“…for it is your Father’s”

So far in this verse, Jesus has described God (ie- himself) as our shepherd. Now he uses a new identity – Father. Depending on who you are reading this, this description may bring joyful memories and nostalgia or painful, negative feelings. We all have different experiences with our earthly fathers. But imagine a father that loves his child so much that he would do anything to rescue him and bless him. A father that teaches and molds his kids but forgives them and is always there for them. If you want a better picture of a father, go ahead and read the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. God is this wonderful, intimate, loving father to us.

“…good pleasure to give you the Kingdom”

Here we hear a third description of God – he is The King. When I say The King, I don’t mean of a province or country, I mean of EVERYTHING. He is a sovereign, all-powerful king who is in control of everything. But did you know that this also tells us something about ourselves? If we are sons and daughters of God, and he is a king, that technically makes us…princes and princesses. There you go – your Disney fantasies have been actualized.

Do you ever think about how rich God is? It sounds awkward to say, but he is loaded. Everything in the world is God’s. He has infinite riches, both material and immaterial. And the comforting, amazing thing that we learn here is that even though God is all-powerful and “large and in charge”, he enjoys sharing his wealth with his children. It brings him great pleasure.

As Christians, we don’t have to worry about earthly wealth, because our Father in heaven is a rich king who loves to take care of us. Now, this doesn’t mean God is going to make you rich in this earthly life – be careful there. It means he has so many wonderful blessings to bestow (material and non-material) and we will see the full extent of that in heaven with him someday when we “inherit his kingdom”.

So there we have it – a whole theology in a tiny verse:

Even though we are weak, dirty sheep, we don’t have to be afraid of finances or death or anything, because God is our good shepherd and because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are now sons and daughters of The King of Kings, who loves us and will share every good thing with us for eternity. We don’t have to cling to earthly treasures that moth and thief destroy because our treasure is in heaven.

Hallelujah!

Note:

When you study the bible, it’s important to ask a couple questions:

  • What is the context of this verse? What is happening before and after it?
  • What does this teach me about me and other humans?
  • What does this passage teach me about God?
  • What should I do – how do I apply it to my life?