Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

How does a shepherd receive a sheep that was lost but has been found? Exactly as he finds it. If it is sick, it does not first have to be restored to health. If it is wounded, it does not have to wait until its injuries heal. If it has broken limbs, it is not left to languish until those limbs men. No, the shepherd receives the sick, wounded, or lame sheep just as it is, carrying it home on his shoulders to rejoin the flock in a secure pen. And how does the poor woman receive a coin that fell from her hand and was lost? Exactly as she finds it. If the coin is full of the dirt into which it fell, it does not need to be cleaned before she accepts it. If it is corroded, a good shining is not required. If the inscription has faded, it does not need to be restored. No, the poor woman takes the dirty coin just as it is, clutching it in her hand and joyfully placing it in her treasure chest. We see from this that nothing is necessary for Jesus to receive us except that we approach Him as a sinner to the Savior, as a sick person to the doctor, as a lost sheep to the Shepherd. That alone suffices. Jesus then receives us. - C.F.W. Walther, *God Grant It!* p. 524