All of the restorative work is done by the good shepherdPastor-Teacher All of the restorative work is done by the good shepherdGod’s plan throughout all the ages is that He might be glorified by the grace that He dispenses to undeserving creatures. the lost sheep, LUK 15:4-7, God’s plan throughout all the ages is that He might be glorified by the grace that He dispenses to undeserving creatures. the lost sheep, LUK 15:4-7, Jesus addresses His parables to the Pharisees and scribes. The parable was addressed to men who were like the elder brother, men who were offended at the Gospel. “You accuse me of reclining to eat with sinners and tax collectors and you are right! That is exactly what I do. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father does exactly what the audience is accusing Jesus of having done. There is the parable of the shepherd and the lost sheep, the woman and the lost coin, and the father and the lost sons. The Greek is Three parables, referred to in the singular. This shows that there are not three replies, but a single reply to the question. Jesus addresses the Pharisees and scribes as if they were shepherds. In fact, the oral law (not the Bible but the traditions of the rabbis) labeled shepherding as a prohibited trade for law abiding Jews. The Old Testament used the shepherd as a symbol for God (Psalm 23) and for the leaders of Israel (Ezekiel 34). Psalm 23 has a good shepherd, a lost sheep, and repentance- restoration. Had the Pharisees bothered to consider the implications of Ezek 34, they should have realized that THEY fit Ezekiel’s description of a leader whom the Lord was not pleased with. In Middle Eastern culture, people do not blame themselves. It’s the aorist active participle of apollumi means You are the shepherds of Israel.
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