Let's admit it: we are all sheep – so who is your shepherd?
- Lilianah
- Dec 23, 2021
- 5 min read
For those like me who grew up in the city, being in contact with livestock animals is not so common. Having moved to the outskirts recently has given me the opportunity to watch the interesting behavior of all sorts of farm animals. They all have a different 'collective personality'. Cows, for example, have a very short span of curiosity and very little of what happens around them seem to be more interesting than the grass. Chicken are explorers! Horses on the other hand, look like they are almost meditating while standing up doing nothing. It's as if they could say 'what are you looking at?'. So different from young dogs who get easily bored! And then there are the sheep - usually tense, even fearful.
Being called a sheep is a way to offend a gullible person who follows whatever narrative the offender does not agree. The sheep usually settle for less, is a common description of a sheep's behavior. But is being called a sheep really an offense or an uncomfortable truth?
The bold statement we should all accept is that we are all sheep. No exceptions. We are born dependent on our parents to provide and without our parents' care we die – not only of starvation, but also of lack of love and comfort of our caregiver's embrace. As we grow up we become dependent on other worldly things, whose values one can question.
While the Bible asks us to be dependent on our heavenly Father and put all our trust in Him, the world asks us to be dependent on money, ideology, 'science', status, power, other people’s approval, self… the list is endless. We may get so dependent on these things that if reality shows that what we so dearly believe may not be so right, some may get defensive or resort to cognitive dissonance. These ‘idols’ are the shepherd leading the masses of sheep to a dire place - while feeling a hopeless void along the way.
In the Old Testament, the shepherd's job is not the most glamourous one, therefore it was usually assigned to the youngest son. And it’s easy to understand why this was so. Sheep are smelly, extremely dumb and fearful. They need to be attended at all times and will not trust a different shepherd so easily, so the one responsible for them has his hands full all the time. If you leave the sheep on their own, they will be scattered very quickly, for they have no idea where to go. Their clueless behavior can be deadly if predators find them, or if they fall off a cliff. In summary, they very easily fall into all kinds of trouble when not cared for.
This is the 'sheepness' of sheep:
Do you see any resemblance here? By now, if you still think you’re an independent mind, you'd better think again. We are all followers of a shepherd, so who leads you? And is your shepherd taking you to a place you want to be?
Yahuah is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Father for ever. (Psalm 23)
Yahusha is a Good Shepherd, for he leads us to the Kingdom of Yahuah and he takes care of us in this horrible world. He reminds us that we don't belong here and because of that we will go through trials and the world will eventually hate us. Despite that, we will have peace upon delivering ourselves to his care. And he loves his lambs so much that he died, so that his lambs could live. He gave himself to the difficult job of taking care of his lambs, a job no one would ask for.
His human existence was not glamourous from the world's point of view. He was a simple and meek man. When Yahusha washed the feet of his disciples, he showed them that people will follow his Word not because he is an almighty all-powerful King (although he is!) - his lamb will follow him because they belong to him and they know he will provide for their spirit. In short, his lambs follow him because they realize that he cares!
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:11-16)
As Yahusha said, there is not only the Good Shepherd, there is also the shepherd that when the wolf comes, will hide himself and leave the sheep on their own, even the shepherd who will lead them to the cliff. And there is also the shepherd who will leave them to starve spiritually.
Sadly while some fools make a conscious choice of following the worldly shepherd, many others are tricked into following him. The deceit is everywhere, even in the church! The saints are born and raised in the world and sometimes all we know are the rules of the this game. This is where many future believers are right now. Yahusha called them 'the lost lambs', those in need of the Word of Truth to be spoken to them. And once they hear their real shepherd, their spirit will recognize his voice and go to him.
We never know if the person in front of us is a sleepy lost lamb, so our mission is to be the vessel out of which the right word may bring that lamb to Yahusha Ha'Mashiach. Because just as one day you needed someone to wake you up from the trance of the prince of this world, you may be needed to wake up a fellow sheep.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Creator is the Creator of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for 'Whoever will call on the name of Yahusha (Jesus) will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” (Romans 10:12-15)
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” (John 10:27)
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