The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14 NKJV)

¹⁰ “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. ¹¹ For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  ¹² “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? ¹³ And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴ Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

As a young man I was blessed to have an opportunity to raise sheep on our small farm and learned their characteristics.  Sheep need assistance from the shepherd to survive and thrive.  In the summer, they would graze and huddle close to the barn at night.  We had to be aware of stray dogs that were looking for a meal.  Each Sunday morning, before going to worship, we would call the sheep to a spot to give them salt and give us an opportunity to count the sheep to assure that all were present and healthy.  During the wintertime, we would bring the sheep to the barn each night.  During the lambing season in early spring, we would go to the barn during the night to check if we suspected a delivery.  Sometimes the mother would not accept her lamb and a surrogate mother from the flock would be found or the lamb would be bottle fed.

Shepherd the Flock (1 Peter 5:1-3 NKJV)

¹The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: ² Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; ³ nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;

For those who serve as shepherds/elders in the Lord’s church, may they serve well.