Sheep were an essential animal back in the day. There are over 500 verses about sheep, more than any other animal in the Bible. They came up with two realities: Sheep were essential to the Israelites from an agricultural perspective. Sheep are used as a symbol to refer to God’s people. This understanding is why Jesus paints this parable for His audience because it was something that they could find relatable. If you’re unfamiliar with this parable, read Luke 15:3-7, but here’s a quick summary. Say you were a shepherd with 100 sheep, and one goes missing. Would you leave the 99 to find the one? Then when you find it, you’d celebrate and invite others to celebrate with you. Jesus connects this story to those who newly accept Jesus in their life. I know you may be thinking, “How will he wrap this up?”
Our pets can be like sheep. If they run away, our lives turn to chaos. We panic, fear the worst, become scared, and run off to find them. It feels like a part of our lives is missing. Granted, the sheep to shepherd more than the like reflected the loss of money, but the feelings are almost equitable. Yet, when they return home, we celebrate. We cry, hug them, love them, share the news with our loved ones, and feel complete again. Our pets are a part of our lives. As we bless them today, we recognize what a blessing they are to us. We recognize how changed our lives are because of God’s placement in our lives. We often choose our pets because of the connection we feel when we see them. We see the look in their eye, the tilt in their head (if that’s what they do), and the feeling in our hearts like: “You’re coming home with me.” There’s a bond between our pets, like the sheep to a shepherd. Remember today, as your pets receive the blessing, that we also receive a blessing because of them. Amen.
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