Thinking About Sheep
I was thinking about sheep recently. I actually know almost nothing about sheep. I grew up in the East San Francisco Bay area and I think I encountered sheep driving with my dad to Montana one time when I was sixteen. However, even without having much experience with sheep except for the media, I feel that I can do a pretty impressive sheep bleat. Thankfully, this is the blog format of One Hundred-Fold Ministries called Backyard Conversations, otherwise I would be tempted to try it out on my podcast – Kingdom Offerings.
Just imagine a bleat here!
Of course, in the days of Jesus on earth, sheep were a deal – an important economic contribution to the culture. And everyone would largely know about sheep, I think, even if they were born in the city. As a result, scripture has a lot of sheep and lamb references.
Famously we have Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.” But there are more than a 100 that come up in a bible verse search . . . like . . .
Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way.”
Psalm 95:7 “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”
John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
Ezekiel 34:11-12 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.”
Most all of these verses remind us that God is our shepherd, and He will always be there to guide and protect us. And they remind us that we, like sheep, are a very dependent lot!
When Jesus references his people as lambs, he is spotlighting their nature as immature and vulnerable and in need of tending and care. Even when they are all grown up, sheep are not the brightest bulbs in the box. If for some reason you missed this cut on YouTube, it will give evidence to what I’m talking about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DZNMgiqFYE
I mean, sheep aren’t great!
To further make the point, in 2005 a large herd of sheep were grazing on the side of a cliff in a meadow near a village in Turkey. The shepherds turned their attention away from the herd for a brief moment as they ate breakfast. To their horror, they watched one of their sheep jump off of the cliff to its death. Suddenly, before they could reach the flock and lead them to safety, 1,500 more followed. In total, 450 sheep died that afternoon. The only reason that all 1,500 didn’t die is because some landed on top of the large pile of sheep at the bottom of the cliff and it prevented instant death.
What does all this have to do with us and the kingdom of God?
I want to invite you into the care of the King. He is indeed the Ruler of All, but He is the Kind and Benevolent Ruler! He is the One we have always longed for. He is someone powerful enough to save and loving enough to give us a place of community and a purpose to live by. This is our Shepherd.
The writer of the Gospel of John records Jesus’ teaching about Himself in John 10:
11*“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.12****The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.13*******The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14*“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15****just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.16****I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.17****The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.18*******No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.
Jesus, I confess, I am one of those sheep that is prone to wander, “prone to leave the God I love”, as the hymnist writes. I take my eyes off you, and I follow the voice of temptation to a place where I cannot find my way back. Call me by name, Good Shepherd, and I will come! Lead me and I will follow. Protect me that I might live. I know that you have laid down Your life for me and have taken it up again to the glory of the Father! I need you oh God my Good Shepherd! I yield to you and your tender care!
This is Backyard Conversations, and I am Dave Scherrer. You can connect with me at dave@100foldministries.org if you want to converse some more!! Peace!
