Figuring-Out Jesus' #Pattern: He Brought in Disciples by Promising to make them #FishersOfMen, but Do We Call Him #TheGoodFISHperd? @Believers_Chrch @BCTULSA @BEchurchCA @BICFamily @BelieversOKC @ChurchBelievers
No; We call Him 'The Good Shepherd,' mostly-because of His parable that plays into our self-centeredness—The Parable of The Good Shepherd, who will leave 'the 99 good sheep' (secured in the herd, locked in the pen) to go find the one Lost Sheep who got away.
And we all–even though we're 'good sheep' (gladly 'locked in the pen' bordered by the 'fences' of legality & ownership & innocence)—we all make-believe we're 'lost sheep,' always only one step away from 'choosing the path down into The Valley of Sin!'
And when He finally 'Commits' (or is it 'Commission'?) His disciples, He doesn't instruct them to 'go rescue My sheep' (although He does tell Simon Peter to "feed My lambs, shepherd My sheep & feed My sheep" ... or maybe "feed/shepherd the sheep/lambs 'of Me' (i.e. using My teaching to lead them & help them)") OR to bring in nets full of followers to sell in the market!
What does He do? He 'lets them go,' trusting they will follow the pattern He's set down for them ...
'That word' (below-hyperlinked to a collection of Scripture-passages that point Believers in the right direction) is built on an even-deeper source ... something crucial that firms the foundation upon which our lexicon stands ...
The word “Pattern” is built on ancient words that mean "Protector, |Model" (you know, the way you feel Immune or Invincible when you simply "|Step Where He Steps & Go Where He Goes; Side-by-Side as the Sea Billows Roll" ... Patron).
So when did He go from 'bringing in net-fulls of followers (Disciple-ing "Fishers of Men")' to 'going out to rescue the one lost follower out of the hundred (Disciple-ing "Good Shepherds")'?
I can't think of anywhere 'in the Scriptures' where He made that shift (If you can, tell me about it in the comments!), but I can tell you what I see 'in the world today'—believers are rewarded more for "coming to The Lord" and finding peace than -for "bringing in net-fulls of souls" for the Holy Spirit to Baptize ... unless you're talking about 'the churches where thousands of souls go to see "The Big Star Shepherd," to see them filled-to-overflowing with the Holy Spirit, and to maybe get a share of that!'
Either way—'The Big Star Shepherd' (or 'The Popular Aquarist') doesn't "imprison" the believers–doesn't 'pick up the lost lamb/lamprey and carry it back to his congregation'–but rather 'always opens the door to let a formerly-lost one back into the fold/school.'
Like The Prodigal Son, welcomed back into the family after he lost his inheritance to sin & vice.
Know anything else interesting about that? Comment!
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