Who are the fat sheep?
Is it a spiritual metaphor or a physical one? I believe it is a bit of both. I have seen fat sheep in churches many times,
people who eat and eat and never use what they have learned or allow others
access to the food. We are not meant
only for consumption, and we need to be always aware of the lean sheep among us
who need attention and nourishment. There
are some who are marginalized within the church, cannot get access to what they
need in order to thrive because a few crowd in and get all the attention. The metaphor is also one for those who have
far more than enough of the world's stuff in comparison with the other sheep of
God's flock. We are called to love one
another in word and deed, to look out for the welfare of one another in the
body of Christ, and to love our neighbor, whoever he/she may be if they need
something we have to give. The Lord
promises a time of blessing and plenty to come when David will shepherd the
Lord's flock.
Mary has chosen the good portion. That is sacrificial language. The priests got a portion of the sacrifice
and the best portions went to the Lord. Mary
is sitting at the feet of Jesus, taking in His teaching, Mary is busily serving
the crowd. Jesus could have sent Mary
away on two counts, because Martha asked for her help and because women weren't
allowed to be taught by rabbis. The Good
Shepherd is tending the flock, they are grazing in green pastures and lying
beside still waters and Martha's busy-ness intrudes on the scene. We have a problem with the one thing
necessary, attending to the voice of the Lord, because we are called to
activity, the world demands us to act, good manners and hostessing call us to
action not rest. Sometimes we get to be
lean sheep through allowing those other voices to command us.
We are the heirs of a "better covenant." The old covenant was presumed to be based on
works when in fact it was always about grace.
There had to be provision for sin in that covenant, the problem was our
very nature was corrupted by sin, there weren't enough sacrifices to cover
sin. Jesus, however, offered one
sacrifice for all time that is efficacious to cover, atone for and expiate sin
in all who put their trust in Him. The writer
of Hebrews is concerned with one thing, that the people to whom he writes
understand that what is on offer in this covenant is rest, and that until now
no one has entered that rest God promised.
In Jesus we can rest, we can find peace for our weary souls, we are
accepted and loved eternally because we agree with Him that Jesus is the
perfect sacrifice, we worship and adore Him and put our trust in Him. The new covenant is meant to allow us to rest
from our labors.
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