Baaaaad Sheep
“If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders
away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go
to look for the one that wandered off?” Mt 18:12
Many artists have depicted the picture of the Good Shepherd
as a smiling man gently holding over his shoulders a calm,
clean, happy sheep. Anyone who knows anything about sheep
will tell you that this picture is just simply not
reality.
Sheep are not known for their intelligence. They are
followers. Sometimes there will be those in the flock who,
for whatever reason, seem to stray from the flock. A sheep
that strays from the flock is in immediate danger of the
attack of wild animals. Should they survive that long
enough, they would eventually meet their own ruin anyway.
As the sheep’s wool continues to grow, it gets heavier and
heavier. As the sheep wanders through the wilderness,
thorns and thistles and briars get caught in the underbelly
wool of the sheep. Without attention, this wool would keep
growing and growing, becoming dirty and matted, and would
lead to the sheep becoming top heavy, falling over, and
being rendered helpless. It would not be able to get up
and would mean only a matter of time before it would die.
A shepherd that finds this sheep would have to put it over
his shoulders, briars digging into his neck as the sheep
kicks wildly. Sheep don’t find hanging over a man’s
shoulders a comfortable place to be.
What a terrific illustration that Jesus gave us. We too
allow ourselves to wander off from the things of God that
should keep our attention, and get caught up in the things
of the world that hinder, bog down, and so easily
entangle. We resist the confession/absolution that sheers
sin, and we allow worldly wool to grow slowly until it
overtakes us. This creates an attractive environment for
thorns, thistles, and briars. Before we realize it, we are
spiritually dead. Even kicking and screaming, Christ
rescues us, and carries us back to the fold. Christ
bearing our sin was much more than the discomfort of thorns
and thistles on his neck. It was the weight of the sin of
the world as nails pierced his hands and feet. Christ laid
down his life for us, that we might have the safety and
security of eternal life with him. His forgiveness make
the wool pure white, and allows us to enjoy life to the
full.
William Hiskey
Director of Youth Ministries, First English Lutheran, Spencer, IA
Updated: 11-19-02
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