Of All The Animals- Why Sheep?

Disclaimer right off the bat:

I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m not a theologian or apologist (sorry to disappoint). However, I do lots of thinking while I clean the house and watch my children play, and on occasion things are revealed to me about the faith in ways that I can understand and relate to, based on my own background and experiences.

I’m also willing to bet that most normal people out there are not having their hearts and minds transformed by the deepest and most sound theological arguments, so I thought this would be a fun one to share.

Of all the animals in the world, why does God always refer to us as His sheep, and He the shepherd?

I come from an agriculture and ranching background, so I decided to sit and reflect on this a little, just based on what I know and have experienced with the many types of animals we have raised.

We had a small herd of sheep for a while growing up, less than 10. This probably isn’t enough to get a very well-rounded understanding of them, but we also helped a local farmer in the area a few times a year with his sheep herd, and he had somewhere around 500. So, I felt like I had sufficient experience to contemplate this a little deeper.

The first thing that came to mind was the general opinion I’ve always had on sheep:

Sheep are possibly the dumbest animals on Earth.

Now I must admit my bias- I’ve always been drawn more to cattle and goats so the tiny, noisy, dirty cotton balls were at a disadvantage from the beginning. And, yes, every species of livestock still does dumb things and have their characteristic weird behaviors, but if you have any experience with a variety of animals (including sheep), I think we can all agree that they’re just on another level.

You could have a wide open, straight path for the sheep to follow that leads to a beautiful lush pasture, and yet while trying to get them to head that way they will turn in the opposite direction, probably run you over, and attempt to jump a fence that they will inevitably get tangled in. They just make absolutely no sense to me.

In my contemplation of these confusing creatures, I have concluded that there are three types of sheep when separated from the herd. The first type, as soon as they are separated, even if only a few yards away, will immediately start screaming and freaking out. They know they are lost and they stand there and cry out for help. Then after some skillful assistance, they are thrilled when united back with the group.

The second type get separated and they are completely oblivious to the situation. They’re off on their own, someplace they shouldn’t be, probably grazing on something that will kill them, with no idea that they are alone and lost and in danger. When you walk over and pick them up to carry them back to the herd, I imagine they say, “Oh heck! It’s a good thing you came to get me, that could have ended badly”.

And the third type, when isolated, sees the shepherd coming to his rescue and turns around and runs away from him, refusing his aid and refusing to return to the group and the good pastures. These sheep just keep running and are essentially impossible to catch if they don’t want to be caught. After a few attempts my sisters and I usually gave up and said he’ll have to find his own way home.

And as I sit and laugh at these ridiculous animals and remember all the frustrating situations they’ve put me through, God gently nudges me to an amazing realization: I am all three types of sheep.

Some days, I can tell that I am lost and far from God and know to cry out to Him for help. And even if The Shepherd doesn’t immediately run to my aid and pull me from the brambles, I know he will eventually; I just need to trust and have faith that He will come.

Other periods in my life I just had no idea how far I wandered. I didn’t know that the weeds I was eating were poison to me, or at least I pretended like I didn’t. I was ignoring the harm I was doing to my own soul.  Only after The Good Shepherd picked me up and walked me home did I look back and say, “Wow. That was not a good place to be. This place, in the lush pastures under the care of The Shepherd, is much better”.

And I am also that sheep who refuses The Shepherds help. I want to go my own way. I don’t want his wisdom or guidance. So, I reject him and run. And I keep running until I fall into a ditch or get tangled in a bunch of fallen trees or am attacked and left injured by The Predator.

But how does the Lord respond to a runaway sheep? Does he throw his hands up and say, “Oh well, you’re on your own now!”?

We know he doesn’t; He follows that sheep. No matter how far the stinky cloud animal runs, he is walking close behind. Calmly, patiently. He knows the sheep cannot be caught if it doesn’t want to be, but Jesus never abandons him. No matter how far and through what trenches it runs, He is still there, watching and waiting and hoping the sheep will let Him help.

The way I see it, there are two outcomes to this situation. 1) The sheep finally, whether he was lost and suffering for a long time or not, realizes that he needs The Shepherd and allows himself to be rescued by Him. Or, 2) he continues to reject help and is gobbled up by the wolves.

And The Shepherd has to watch.

He was there, still following. Still waiting for the sheep even to turn his head and look back at Him so he could try to convince the animal to come home. But that poor, lost and lied-to little lamb didn’t. And The Shepherd, who loved that sheep so much that He was willing to follow him to the ends of the Earth, had to watch his destruction.

Can you imagine how devastating that would be to Our Lord, who created us each as individuals with specific roles and special skills? Who desired to be close to us and care for us, to lead us to the good pastures?

We also know that The Good Shepherd wouldn’t leave until he was sure the wolves had actually taken that soul for good. If the sheep was laying there injured, but alive, The Shepherd would take him home, tend his wounds, and nurse him back to health. And if the sheep’s injuries would be fatal, there is still the possibility for that moment of reconciliation at the end when the sheep allows The Shepherd into his heart, to comfort him and love him before he dies.

There is victory and joy when a lost sheep finally accepts The Shepherd, no matter how long it took or how much he suffered. And there is great sadness when one is lost to the wolves.

It’s no surprise that the creator of analogies is the ultimate analogist, but the beauty of His love and greatness and willingness to share little blips of truth with us will never not amaze me.  There is so much comfort in knowing that even though I am like the sheep- kinda dumb, always running off in the wrong direction, and getting myself into trouble- He is always there. Following closely behind, waiting for me to open my heart to His love.