Sheep

If I mention “sheep” what picture comes into your mind? I guess it depends on whether or not you were brought up on a farm, and when that was. Last week I was visiting a property near Nyngan in N.S.W. and their sheep looked like this: No they are not freshly shorn; they are “Dorpers”.

The Dorper breed ideally doesn’t have any wool as they are just for breeding fat lambs. However, many people in the same district run “Merinos” like you see in the second photo, simply because they want the wool, so meat production is to them a secondary consideration as their main income is from selling wool.

There are also many different breeds like those in the third photo where people are trying to combine a good meat body and reasonably saleable wool.

Audrey and I were brought up with an interest in Merino breeding but during our time on the land also tried various other breeds.

Most sheep have one thing in common and that is they seem to think that the “distant fields look greener” and therefore if the fences holding them in their paddock or “field” (as some people call it) are not in good order they willingly “Go astray”. Interestingly, this was the case 2,000 years ago as Jesus likened us to sheep that had “gone astray and turned each one to his own way.” (As Isaiah 53 said). I am pleased to say though that “Shepherds” (people who look after sheep) recognise this trait of character in their charges and endeavour to find their strays, forgive them, and bring them back into the mob (or Fold). There are all sorts of reasons why it is undesirable for sheep to “go astray”; they can be attacked by dogs or dingoes, can pick up stomach worms, lice, footrot, blowflies, scabby- mouth, grass seeds and so on. When people stray away from God the list of problems they have to face alone is endless too, and that gets worse when they die.

God wants to guide and protect us (His Children) at all times and therefore Jesus described himself as “The Good Shepherd who looks after His sheep” and was so upset realising that we had all gone astray, with no hope of redeeming and reinstating ourselves as Children of God, that He decided to earn our forgiveness by sacrificing His life on our behalf. Which was something that He alone was capable of doing, because of who He was.

Very briefly it is just this: Sheep don’t have the mental capacity to fully appreciate how lucky they are to be brought back into the care of their Good Shepherd. But for us who do have that mental capacity, we should realise that unless Jesus intervened we would be without help in this life and wind up in Hell for Eternity, thus we should be so grateful that we would, with open hearts, embrace the statement made by Jesus when He said “God so loved the world (us) that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but inherit eternal life”. (John Chapter 3).

I’m always quoting this text because those are the most important few words ever spoken and accepting them completely changed my life.

Best wishes as you consider that.

Tom.