“'I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.'”
"Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: 'I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
“'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.'
“'I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.'"
~ John 10:1-16New Living Translation (NLT)
Have you ever stopped to wonder why it is that God referred to us as His "Sheep"? I mean, have you aver really stopped to think about it? True, sheep are soft and fluffy, and their lambs are adorable to watch; leaping around, frolicking and playing with each other. But they are also docile and completely defenseless. They have no sharp teeth, no claws, spikes or armored hide; and are easy pray for wolves and other predators.
Sheep are also herd animals who tend to follow their leader wherever it goes, even if the leader has no idea where it is going. Not only that, they often wander off on their own and get lost. Furthermore. if a sheep falls into a ditch--even a shallow one--it will be unable to right itself and will eventually die of heat-stroke or suffocate under its own weight.
In light of this, I think it's about time we were honest with ourselves: being compared to sheep is not a compliment. God knows we're completely lost without Him, with each person wandering off to do whatever their heart desires. (Isaiah 53:6) That is why God sent us a Shepherd.
A sheep--even a flock of sheep--is vulnerable without a shepherd to protect it from wolves, thieves, and the occasional ditch. Likewise we are vulnerable to sin and to the teachings of false prophets--"wolves in sheep's clothing"-- when we wander away from our shepherd, Jesus Christ. (Matthew 7:15) A sheep knows that its only chance at survival is to stay close to the shepherd--the one who feeds it and protects it from harm. So maybe we should follow the example of our wooly namesakes and learn to recognize our shepherd's voice so that we can safely follow him wherever he may lead us.
“The Lord is my shepherd;
I
have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he
leads me beside peaceful streams.
He
renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing
honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through
the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for
you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect
and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in
the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with
oil.
My
cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love
will pursue me
all
the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.”
~ Psalm 23 New Living Translation (NLT)
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