The Good News About Being a Sheep
By Michael Kelley
This is the technical definition of a “sheep”:
The common name for many species of wild and domesticated ruminant mammals of the genus Ovis of the cattle family. The male is called a ram, the female is called an ewe, and their offspring is a lamb. Sheep are bred for their wool, meat, skins, and milk. They are found in temperate climates and thrive on roughages.
Now that’s a pretty technical definition, but it should have a particular relevance to us because of the biblical importance of the metaphor of the sheep. Out of all the animals in the world, the Lord chose this one to describe us. It is a familiar metaphor for anyone who has read much of the Bible. It is the dominating image of the most famous of the Psalms. In Psalm 23 David describes himself as one of God’s sheep and goes through the means by which the shepherd leads him. Throughout Isaiah and Jeremiah God is described as a shepherd, one that lovingly carries his sheep. And in Ezekiel 34, the Lord is angry because the shepherds he entrusted to his flock have done a bad job in leading them. He is the shepherd, we are his sheep.
It’s not a particularly uplifting metaphor. If you continue reading the dictionary definition, you find that a sheep is not just a species of a wild or domesticated animal of the cattle family; when the term is applied to a person, it means someone unable to think for themselves. It is a gullible person; one that has no real sense of time or comparison and is just in life for whatever is in front of their nose at that precise moment. Further, sheep are a “prey” species which means that their only defense mechanism is just to flat out run away when facing danger.
Sheep aren’t particularly wise or strong or courageous; they aren’t overly ambitious or fierce. I know of no sports teams whose mascots are the sheep.
What, then, could possibly be the good news about being a sheep? Simply this - it’s that sheep have a shepherd.
The sheep are not strong, but the shepherd is.
The sheep are not brave, but the shepherd is.
The sheep are not wise, but the shepherd is.
So when the sheep have a good shepherd, there’s really only one thing the sheep have to worry about - it’s recognizing and following that good shepherd.
In other words, the sheep have the luxury of a relatively simple life so long as the shepherd is trustworthy. And oh, how trustworthy is our shepherd:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:11-15).
Are you feeling anxious? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you feeling paralyzed by the complexities of life? If so, there is good news for you as a sheep. All you really need to focus on is better hearing and recognizing the voice of the Shepherd and following Him.
Michael Kelley is a husband, father of three, author, and speaker from Nashville, TN. His latest book is a year-long family devotional guide called The Whole Story for the Whole Family. Find his personal blog at michaelkelley.co.
