We are all God’s sheep. No matter who you are, where you are from, what we have done in life – either good or bad, we are His. He desires a relationship with each and every one of us, and He has a plan for each and every one of us. How often the description of sheep has seemed so appropriate in my own life. I can recall many years of my life wandering around aimlessly, without really knowing where I was going. I did not really know my Shepherd, and yet after all of that, and when He knew I was ready for it, He placed me in a position to learn about Him and to begin to love Him. It took a long time; perhaps I had a dose of mule in my particular sheep lineage, because I was certainly stubborn enough in my ways. Yet my shepherd was patient and never left me. I didn’t appreciate all this then, but I look back on it now with the benefit of both hindsight and a bit more understanding, and I can see His influence quite clearly.
Saint Paul and Barnabas certainly encountered stubbornness in dealings with some of the sheep of Israel who they dealt with in Antioch, and who were intent on derailing their efforts at evangelization out of sheer jealousy for the acknowledgement they were receiving from the people. It was of course appropriate for them to speak to God’s chosen people first, but when it was clear that they would not listen and were even taking steps to keep others from hearing and obeying, they re-focused their message to a more fruitful audience. These were the gentiles who were overjoyed at the idea of being able to receive God’s word and be brought to salvation. These unlikely recipients of God’s grace were fertile ground for the seed of His word to flourish because they possessed something the Jews of that area did not: humility. They knew they were not God’s chosen people and had never before really pondered being able to have a relationship with Him. When Paul and Barnabas approached them, they saw their words for what they really were, a great gift and invitation that they were overjoyed to receive. Where no hope had previously existed, there was now light, and joy, and the hope of salvation. You see these people had previously not been unaware of the God of Israel, but they saw Him as just that, a God for the Israelite people and not accessible to the gentiles, so this new revelation was profound for them.
To this day, there are those who do not see God as being accessible, or even possible in their lives because, while they have some awareness of Him, they do not know of His desire for all to come to Him. They do not grasp that He is for all people, and that He wants them, personally. Each person is an individual desire of our Lord’s. It is sometimes easy to lose sight of that, even for those who have a relationship with Him. It is something that we need to remind ourselves of when we feel ourselves beginning to slip and wander away from the rest of the flock. Our Shepherd has not lost sight of us, He watches and calls us to come back, but we need to listen for that call, and then most importantly, obey that call. I can think of no greater comfort than being one of the ones that our Lord looks after so attentively, and yet also grants the dignity of a truly free will to, so that when we express our love for Him, it is a true love that can only be given through complete freedom. Yet this freedom is paired with a love for us, and a Father’s guidance so that we will use it wisely if we are open to His wisdom. There is no manipulation with love, but there is concern, and loving guidance that is offered, not forced. That is our Lord’s nature, and that is why we must look, and live, with an open heart.
Podcast Link
The Deacons Bench 