Bible Study: Acts 11, 19 to 26 and John
10, 22 to 30.
When Jesus was sending out the 72, he
specifically instructed that they were to go only to the “Lost Sheep of the
House of Israel” that is, the Jews. Initially, Jesus had preference for the
Jews who were the original descendants of the chosen children of God but then as
they say, YOU NEVER VALUE WHAT YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU LOSE IT. St. John tell us: “He
came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those
who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.” John 1, 11 to 12. Hence
when the Jews were slow in accepting Jesus, the Gentiles who were not initially
part of the promise jumped on the message and got their share in the salvation
meant for the Jews only.
In our Gospel passage today, Jesus
draws a distinction between those who belong and those who do not belong, those
destined for salvation and those destined for destruction. Jesus’ basis for
drawing this dividing line surprisingly had nothing to do with ETHNICITY,
LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AGE, MALE OR FEMALE, FINANCIAL or SOCIAL STATUS, etc.
Jesus’ ultimate basis for drawing
this distinction was FAITH. He told the Jews: “The works that I do in my Father’s
name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not
belong to my sheep.” It does not matter where you come from or what language
you speak. The only thing that matters is what you believe! You may be very
regular in church for instance but that does not make you a Christian. It is
what you believe from your heart of heart. And this belief is manifested in
your actions. That is why Jesus added: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them
and they follow me.”
Dear friends, we all have a calling
to extend the Shepherd’s voice to as many people as possible. Broadcast the
word of God, spread the message. Let Jesus use your hands, your feet, your
voice and your smiles. Bring as many as you can into the fold. No one really
deserves to be lost, no one, not even those who do not speak your language, no
one, not even your enemies!
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, shepherd of
my soul, you came to bring me abundant life, remove anything that would prevent
me from enjoying this abundant life and help me to avoid discriminating my
fellow sheep. Amen.
God bless you. Good morning. Be
Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy new week.
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