Go To The Lost Sheep

In Matthew 10, Jesus specifically calls His disciples to “‘…go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,’” (NASB, Matthew 10:6). He is not denying opportunity to teach Gentiles or Samaritans; rather He is calling them to begin by reaching out to those who once knew God who had fallen away. They would not be effective in reaching those on “the outside,” until those on “the inside” had been restored. When the church talks about “reaching out,” it must also consider those who have fallen away.

As we work to understand what we can do to rescue those sheep that have strayed from the fold, we need to put ourselves in their shoes. As the song goes, “Walk a mile in my shoes. Hey, before you abuse, criticize, and accuse walk a mile in my shoes.” They are still our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we will never know why they have left the fold unless we go.