Learning About the Shepherd From the Sheep

God makes the best metaphors. Let's learn from the sheep.

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My husband grew up around sheep—his dad is a veterinarian, and his parents owned a few sheep. Most of my adult life, I’ve heard the refrain “sheep are dumb.” What people usually mean is that sheep need a lot of extra guidance. Life isn’t intuitive to them. They get lost. They get hurt. They eat the wrong things. They are easily bothered and only trust their shepherd’s voice. The first time I “met” the sheep at my in-law’s house I never actually saw the sheep. “They are sort of moody,” my husband said. “It’s best not to talk to them. They only prefer my dad.”

You see, my only context for sheep was Lamb Chop. Animals aren’t my thing. When I thought of Jesus being a shepherd to the sheep, my mind went to stuffed sheep you find at a children’s store. And the picture my parents bought of Jesus holding a lamb in his arms. I think what the Bible has in mind is something totally different.