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Compassion, Judgment, and Action

 
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ShepherdLeader.com Forum Index -> While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks -> Day 22: Justice
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GCTSGRice



Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 6
Location: Oxford, MA

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 10:24 am    Post subject: Compassion, Judgment, and Action Reply with quote

Day 22 - Justice
What wonderful new insight this reading provides into the reason for the separation of goats and sheep! They receive the justiced their actions require! In a sovereign act by the Supreme Judge, justice is meted out against those who have shown no compassion or mercy toward others. Instead they have been self-serving and have lived for their own purposes. These "goats" to which Jesus refers are dealt with justly. In contrast are the sheep, known for their “responsive temperaments.” The sheep become a symbol for the truly compassionate in contrast with the goats "care-less" attitude. Too often this is viewed as descrimination and labeled unfair. How can a goat be anything other than a goat? That is not the point. The point is this: being a shepherd requires administering justice for the sake of the flock! A responsible shepherd must recognize the differences among the flock and protect the flock from one another! Goats are not simply outsiders as if they never belonged. They are animals of a different nature, and the shepherd has a responsibility to protect the sheep from the goats. That protection extends to a deeper level, as the shepherd must protect all the weak and lean from the strong and fat, even among the same type of animals. To be a shepherd in the flock of the Lord requires the ability to see the needs within the flock, and to act swiftly to separate where most expedient. This necessitates a commitment to the plight of those that are suffering. It cannot be seen and ignored; compassion requires definite action! But compassion must first begin with judgment that something is amiss. The shepherd must see that something is going on that isn't right, and that shepherd must do somehting about that wrong. There must be compassion that leads to just action! In the same way that God acts justly toward those shepherds who acted without mercy and compassion in Ezekiel 34:17f, he calls us today to act justly toward the sheep under our care. There are times when we must take precautions to protect the flock from one another! It is more than outside predators who are waiting to destroy the sheep. The shepherd must judge justly and act compassionately toward the flock, even when that means separating certain ones from others. The shepherd knows the motive behind the actions and sees the danger if nothing is done. Justice requires him to act, and to act with compassion on both predator and prey. A compassionate act isn't just giving a cup of water to the thirsty - anyone can do that! The shepherd of the flock knows that a sinful situation must be confronted and the appropriate judgment meted out for the sake of the wrongdoer and that of the flock! True care and compassion calls for this kind of just action. It is what we see in God's judgment of the unmerciful shepherds in Ezekiel and of the compassion-less goats in Matthew 25.
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