As you have heard me talk about, we recently brought Leilani, a rescue dog, into our home. She suffers from severe separation anxiety. So far, she has broken out of one crate, destroyed a few dog beds and door mats, tore into a recliner, had "accidents" in our basement, etc. There is a positive and a negative to all of this. I've listed the negatives. The positive is that she wants to be with us. Her world is not right unless one of us is right there with her. 

This weekend is traditionally referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday as we hear readings about Jesus being our Good Shepherd and we the sheep of His flock. Sheep are not necessarily the most intelligent animals and without a shepherd present they will get into trouble. That's one reason the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Scriptures to compare us to sheep. As Isaiah 53:6 puts it, "All we like sheep have gone astray with each going to his or her own way." 

But Isaiah continues: "And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." The "Him" is Jesus who gives His life for the sheep. Why would He do that? The simple one-word answer is love, yet that answer is quite profound. Why would God love us that much? Why would we be worth that to Him? 

I must fully admit that there have been times when I have wondered if Leilani is going to work out in our home, but then I come back to the positive of the separation anxiety. She needs us. If we give up on her, who's to say someone else would care for her? And so I am reminded of our relationship with our Lord. We desperately need Him. And despite all our sin and failure, He continues to care for us and love us and always welcomes us as a part of His flock, His Church, gathered in His name as we will do this weekend to receive His gifts of Word and Sacrament – sheep cared for by the perfect Good Shepherd, who leads us to the House of the Lord where we shall dwell forever.