When you've made an investment into something, usually that helps you gain interest in the success of whatever it is you've invested in. For instance, if you're a parent who's shelled out thousands of dollars for your kid to go to college, you'll probably cheer for the football team. Unless one of my kids go to Michigan. Then they're on their own. Heck, you may even buy one of those fancy butt warmers to sit on instead of those frigid aluminum bleachers during those chilly autumn days. Nothing says "support" like his and her monogrammed butt warmers. I mean seat warmers. But butt warmers sounds so much more inviting.
Now since I own stocks in Wal-Mart, I pay more attention to the health of the company. I was actually on the phone with a Walton just the other day. I faithfully attend the shareholders' meeting. Me and my two stocks. Not really. I hated working at Wal-Mart. I could care less how Wal-Mart is doing. The only reason I still have the stocks is I'm convinced that if I forget about them, by the time I retire Wal-Mart will own the world and I'll be rich. Oh yeah. I'm dreaming big. If that doesn't work, I'm going to live off of my children.
Also, the money that I paid for the stocks came right out of my paycheck. I never even saw it. Never even felt it leave my pocket. It was just like I was getting paid even less that Wal-Mart was already paying me. It never felt like it cost me anything. When you've had to sacrifice something, when it has cost you something to invest, you're going to do everything you can to protect your investment.
The Bible talks a great deal about the investment God has made into us. We talked about it yesterday. 2 Corinthians tell us that we have the treasure of God's spirit put in the lowly clay vessels that are our earthly bodies. Let's look at a passage in John where Jesus is speaking:
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will leave the sheep because they aren't his and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.
The hired hand runs away because he is merely hired and has no real concern for the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,
just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:11-15
Jesus is naming himself as the good shepherd. The one who guides, protects, and cares for the sheep. He immediately points out his investment: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." His investment is himself. He's saying he will stop at nothing for the sheep that he calls his.
Jesus shows the difference between a shepherd and a hired hand. A hired hand will be able to lead the sheep just like a shepherd. He can guide them to fresh pastures and water. But when trouble comes, he takes off. Why? Because he has no personal investment in the sheep. He just draws a weekly paycheck. These sheep aren't his. Why would he sacrifice himself for something that he has no investment in?
We live in small town with a lot of cute little shops. When you walk in, you can definitely tell the difference between the owner of the shop and someone who just works there. The livelihood of the owner is tied up in the success or failure of that store. They are more inclined to work with their customers, doing whatever possible to ensure a purchase take place in their store. The hired worker may still work hard, but it the store closes up, they don't lose anything but their weekly paycheck, and they can just head over to another store down the road to get a new job.
The shepherd knows his sheep. He loves his sheep. When trouble comes, he stands up and fights for his sheep. When you are going through a hard time and you feel like you are left to your own defenses, you aren't. That's when God is right with you. He promises us that when the wolf comes he won't leave his sheep. He will stay and protect his sheep.
God loves us. He loves us enough to invest himself in us. How? He has sacrificed his son for us.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
John 3:16-17
The even more amazing truth is that God loves us so much, he sacrificed himself for us the way we were. While we were still covered in the filth of our sins and brokenness.
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:6-8
I think of it this way- Everytime I imagine Christ as the good shepherd, I see him with these big, fat, healthy snowy white sheep. But in reality, when Christ made the initial investment into our lives, we looked more like skinny, ratty, dirty sheep that needed a lot of work. Not really "first prize at the county fair" material. Now can you imagine the shepherd laying down his life for a disease-infested, mangy sheep? Because that's exactly what happened.
He took us in our brokenness. He pulled us up out of the miry pit. He gave us his righteousness. He loves us. He loves you. May you reach a deeper understanding of the love and grace of Christ today.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
Ephesians 3:18
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