))
Hebrews 13:7-8, 17-21 Jesus Models a Compassionate Shepherd’s Heart
Manage episode 430081361 series 3097120
Content provided by Bethel/Grace Lutheran Churches. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Bethel/Grace Lutheran Churches or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
In the ancient Middle East, a shepherd needed certain skills to do his job well: knowledge of edible grasses, ability to trim hooves, capacity to fend off predators, and competency to birth lambs. However, the greatest qualification of a shepherd is much simpler. A good shepherd needed to care for his sheep. Without that, none of those other skills would be fully utilized. In Scripture, meaningful ministry is often pictured as a compassionate shepherd caring for his sheep: Jesus’ care for us; a spiritual leader’s care for his “flock.” Certainly, gospel ministry requires specific skills: the ability to actively listen to people, the aptitude for applying the gospel to someone’s situation, etc. Ultimately, meaningful ministry requires a compassionate heart and profound care for others. An individual might know God’s Word backwards and forwards. But if they lack compassion, they will not fully perform meaningful ministry. Today, we ask the Spirit to see how Jesus models a compassionate shepherd’s heart so we might be filled with that same compassion.
326 episodes
Share
