Ep 246: Wicked Shepards and Lost Sheep: Luke 15, Jeremiah 23, and Ezekiel 34

In this episode I explore the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15:1-7 in which Jesus, directly responding to his critics, explains how his audience would leave ninety-nine sheep in the pasture to find one who had wondered from the flock, rejoicing when the wayward sheep is found. Jesus isn’t telling a simple pastoral parable about God’s grace, but drawing on powerful imagery from the Old Testament prophets, particularly Jeremiah 23:1-2 and Ezekiel 34, about the wicked shepherds of Israel who had led God’s people astray and the promise that God would rescue his people from the curse of the covenant by sending a good shepherd, the promised son of David, to rescue the whole house of Israel. Luke believes the promises are being fulfilled in Jesus, the son of David bringing about the kingdom of God. I also discuss the need for Christians to keep wicked political leaders, modern false shepherds, at arm’s length and how the modern nation-state called ‘Israel’ only comprises members of two of the twelve tribes of Biblical Israel, meaning it is in no way a fulfillment of God’s promises in the prophets.

Additional Resources

Mark 10 and Political Assumptions: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-244-mark-10-wrecks-modern-economic-and-political-assumptions/

Government is God’s Servant: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-243-government-is-gods-servant-romans-13-isaiah-10-and-jeremiah-25/

Old Testament Prophecy w/ John Walton: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-109-understanding-old-testament-prophecy-with-john-walton/