32 “Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights in giving you the kingdom.
Reflection
We went to see the movie “The Sheep Detectives.” It’s a mystery/comedy movie about a flock of sheep who solve the murder of their shepherd. It was poignant to watch as the sheep had to come to terms with their grief and their own fear and mortality, while learning what it means to belong to the flock. It had some very funny moments of the sheep prompting the not so smart humans to solve the crime. In one scene, two sheep are so paralyzed by fear
to leave their grassy pasture and cross an asphalt road to go to the village, that they declare it’s “Impossible” to do it-that is until a chicken walks right by them, easily crossing the road. We may laugh at these foolish sheep, but often we too are paralyzed by fear when we are challenged to leave our comfortable churches and head out into the world.
Now more than ever, we are worried about the future. Our anxiety seems to be on high alert because the future feels very unsure. Who will lead us? How will we survive? Will we have enough money? In these verses Jesus speaks to our fears with such tenderness and assurance, calling us his “little flock.” Jesus is our Good Shepherd, who calls out to us to not be afraid. Jesus is a shepherd on whom we can depend to guide us through danger and be with us
when we are afraid. Jesus leads us to our loving God, who is our caring parent, not an angry God who condemns us, but a God whose joy it is to give us the Kin-dom. Putting our trust in God’s faithfulness calms our anxiety and helps us to focus on going out into the world to share the good news of salvation through Jesus, with those who need to experience God’s love.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering and Prayer
Like those two sheep, fear and anxiety can paralyze us into inaction. Jesus wants us to know that in a world of fear and anxiety God has chosen to shower us, the little flock, with God’s extravagant love and grace. This is God’s promise, and we can depend upon it. Rather than stay in the pasture, we need to follow our Good Shepherd Jesus and share this with the world, because God doesn’t intend that this good news is for the “little flock” alone, but for the whole world.
Is anxiety or fear holding you back from trusting in God’s promises?
How does knowing that you are loved by God help you to share the good news of Jesus with
others?
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, we your little flock, whom you love, are so often paralyzed into inaction, by anxiety and fear. When we feel paralyzed, help us to hear the voice of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, and respond to Jesus calling to us to go out into the world to share God’s love with others. Amen.
