lost sheep

This morning I’m thinking about how Jesus sees the church, and I’m deciding that there are some key ways that he sees it differently than I do.

These thoughts were prompted by the first part of Matthew 10, where Jesus sends his disciples out to spread the Gospel. I was struck by verses 5-7: “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”’”

I got to thinking about where Jesus sent his disciples. For now, the Gentiles and Samaritans will have to wait. They’ll get their turn - Peter will go to the Gentiles and Philip to the Samaritans. But for now, Jesus is focused on the ones he calls the lost sheep of Israel.

Here’s the thing - these are the sheep, not the goats. They’re the Jews, the children of the covenant, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They’re God-fearers. And yet they need to hear the good news.

Jesus’ first priority was for those of his own faith who weren’t quite getting it. In other words, there are those who have already heard the word and accepted it who are struggling to live obedient lives. Their circumstances, or the lies Satan tells, make it difficult. And Jesus tends to them first.

Outreach is necessary, but there are those in our churches every Sunday morning who are lost sheep. We have to make sure in our enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel that we don’t leave our own wounded behind.