Unique!

Australia is pretty unique in lots of aspects. For example, Rawlina Station in Western Australia is the largest sheep station in Australia; it spans roughly 10,117 kilometers or 2.5 million acres.

It is right on the Nullarbor Plain, which is pretty much famous for its aridness and treelessness. It's a limestone landscape and goes over 1200 kilometers (about 750 miles)  between South Australia and Western Australia.

Rawlina Station has around 70,000 merino sheep and can easily hold at least 10,000 more, and it is one of the largest sheep stations in Australia. Rawlina Station was long owned and operated by the MacLachlan family and was previously known as Jumbuck Pastoral, until it was sold off to the Consolidated Pastoral Company.

Australia and sheep sort of go hand in hand through the generations, and like New Zealand, "across the ditch" from Australia, sheep and pastoral activities are a given.

In Matthew 18:12-14, Jesus tells another amazing story. This time it is about a "Shepherd who owns one hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, of course, he will leave the ninety-nine others and go look for the one sheep that wandered away. If he finds the lost sheep, I truly tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."

One hundred sheep in the Bible days obviously amounted to a huge amount of work being done by a shepherd, and of course, if one of the sheep wandered off, it was the shepherd's responsibility to go find that sheep and bring it back to the fold before wild dogs or the like found the sheep before the shepherd did.

Of course, in those days as well, every single sheep was accounted for, every single one, and the shepherd was responsible for the safety and their safe return to the fold.

Jesus paid for our sins on that cross, and he really wants all of us, like the shepherd he truly is, to come to him, ask his forgiveness, and enter into his newness of everlasting life in him.

Things have changed so much over the years, when we consider even in Australia just how big our sheep stations are. If one apparently goes missing, then there is very little anyone can do about it. So, unlike what Jesus was trying to get through to us in the parable/story he told to his disciples.

Why did he tell them the story? Good question. 

Way back then, before Jesus told them the story, as related above about the shepherd looking for his lost sheep, the disciples were all in a bit of a quandary, wondering who was the best of the bunch and who was going to go to heaven at the end, and who wasn't.

Two of the disciples, James and John, must have been two of the ones wondering about heaven and what they had to do to get there, and they obviously talked to their mum about it.

Mum, in her wisdom, fronted up to Jesus and came straight out with the question that was obviously on her heart. The question was this, maybe not quite like she said it, but she approached Jesus and asked, "When my sons get to heaven, can one sit on your right and one on your left?"

She was obviously concerned that they might not get to heaven at all, and she wanted to make sure that they would certainly have a special place next to Jesus. Jesus said to her that obviously she was asking a hard question and one that she didn't fully understand.

Jesus then approached all the disciples, and obviously, James and John's mother was there too, and then told them the story as mentioned above about the lost sheep.

Jesus then called a child over and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name  welcomes me."

Well, that would have brought a pause to the group, I think. He also mentions the last will be first and first will be last.

When we come to Christ, we have to realise that Jesus is like a shepherd, especially in this story he told of the lost sheep. He has a big following already, people who have come to him and asked him into their lives. People who follow him and make him number one in their lives on a daily basis.

In the story, he brings out that just one little sheep was lost and far away. Why would he mention this lost sheep? Who was he possibly referring to? You, me? 

He was referring to those of us who walk away from him and want nothing to do with him at all. Also, all those of us who have a big and sometimes huge opinion of ourselves and put ourselves first in a lot of situations.

In the parable, he really wants to show that these people, even though they may have little or even nothing to do with him, or putting themselves first in every possible situation, that he loves them and wants to show them his mercy and wants to bring them back into his family of believers.

In this story, Jesus also notes that when a person who has always turned away from him comes back and makes him number one in their lives, there will be great rejoicing in heaven because we have a sinner repenting and turning to God.

I know that so often I am that lost sheep, I sin, and I really feel we are in that category of being that lost sheep. The thing is, we can come to God and ask his forgiveness, and yes! He will forgive us and show us the way forward, even though the path is often rocky and we stumble a lot. 

All of us make mistakes, and all of us need God's mercy and yes! We will feel the joy of God's forgiveness when we return to Him and turn away from whatever is dragging us.

How are you? Do you know Jesus at all? Maybe now is the right time to ask Jesus into your life and make him number one.

Hope to see you next time.