Week 22: Joshua 24:15

I've been reading "Jesus The Christ" recently.  It is such a deep and enriching book.  While reading this week, I read an amazing few paragraphs that spoke to me.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” With these words Jesus prefaced one of His most impressive discourses...

...As the Teacher showed, a shepherd has free access to the sheep. When they are folded within the enclosure of safety, he enters at the gate; he neither climbs over nor creeps in. He, the owner of the sheep loves them; they know his voice and follow him as he leads from fold to pasture, for he goes before the flock; while the stranger, though he be the herder, they know not; he must needs drive, for he cannot lead. Continuing the allegory, which the recorder speaks of as a parable, Jesus designated Himself as the door to the sheepfold, and made plain that only through Him could the undershepherds rightly enter. True, there were some who sought by avoiding the portal and climbing over the fence to reach the folded flock; but these were robbers, trying to get at the sheep as prey; their selfish and malignant purpose was to kill and carry off.  Changing the figure, Christ proclaimed: “I am the good shepherd.” He then further showed, and with eloquent exactness, the difference between a shepherd and a hireling herder. The one has personal interest in and love for his flock, and knows each sheep by name, the other knows them only as a flock, the value of which is gauged by number; to the hireling they are only as so many or so much. While the shepherd is ready to fight in defense of his own, and if necessary even imperil his life for his sheep, the hireling flees when the wolf approaches, leaving the way open for the ravening beast to scatter, rend, and kill."

I've tried to pray for the charity that Christ had for His sheep.  Elder Pottle and I have been focusing on trying to care for the individual.  To not look at the numbers but look at the soul.  We have been so much happier when doing this and it applies to every form of life.  Looking at people individually and loving them individually.

Elder Poulsen