Part 3: The Shepherd's Joy

We all categorize people and things in one way or another. Categories help us to order and make sense of the world, yet they can also create barriers between us and people with whom we are called to be in relationship. Jesus once shared a meal with a group of people categorized as outsiders by religious insiders. His shared meal with these “outsiders” began to disrupt the religious leaders' categories, causing them to grumble. In response, Jesus told one of His most simple yet evocative parables - a story about a sheep, a shepherd and God’s joy-fueled pursuit of outsiders.