Gentle Care

The other day, between appointments, I was listening to Alistair Begg on his program Truth for Life. He was speaking of Christ’s gentle care for his sheep. I thought about my daughter and a friend of hers, who are both in the midst of difficult times. One because of the birthday of a loved one who had died and the other the anniversary of the death of a loved one. The heartache and pain are real. None who care for these two ladies, can be untouched by the hurt they feel. Those who love them are “touched with the feelings of their infirmity.” Both of these ladies are working through their grief.

In the message, Rev. Begg said, “All Christ’s sheep are diseased, so He takes gentle care of them.” Many people think He cares for His sheep because they are good or perfect. This is nowhere near the truth. In our personal lives, as well as our church life, we have put up a “false” storefront. That storefront causes people to make assumptions about what is inside. (Perfect, Sound, having no worries or troubles.) When you open the door you see the “real” structure. (Imperfect, diseased, in need of a friend, a savior.) You and I, including the church, are merely imperfect human beings trying to become what Christ intended us to be. As Christ followers, we have the same questions, trials, sufferings and heartaches as those who do not believe. So what’s the difference? The difference is that “He takes gentle care of his sheep.” When we have the heartaches – He is there! When we have the suffering – He is there! When we have the questions and trials – He is there! And just as important, He is there during the joys and victories of our life.

I am not against the Church. I am Pro-Church. What I am against is the perception of what the Church is. It IS NOT a “gathering of the gods”. It IS a “trauma center” for the lost, sick, and suffering whose heartaches are beyond human healing! One time the Pharisees asked Jesus (Luke 5:30, NLT), “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” His answer is found in verses 31 and 32 “…Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who THINK they are already good enough.” (Emphasis mine.)

Are you one of His sheep? If so, religious people may consider you “scum”, but Jesus sees your heartache, pain and disease and is there to “take gentle care of you”. It doesn’t mean he leaves you alone, or doesn’t cause discomfort. He helps clean the wounds – that hurts. He asks, and helps, you change things in your life that need to be changed. His love and care are active not passive. He will not leave us where he found us. He will bring us, at our speed, to the place he has designed for us. We can’t get there by ourselves. He accomplishes it, but we have to be willing to do what He asks.

If you are not one of His sheep, is there any hope for you? Most assuredly! He wants you. Searches for you. Seeks you. Why does he want you and me, the “so called” scum? “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” John 3:16-17 (NLT).

He wants you!! Not because of anything you have done but because of what He has done. He wants you to become one of his sheep. All you have to do is ask, and he will begin "caring gently for you".