“Significance for a sheep is found in the life that is given to them by the shepherd.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – June 3, 2023
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:25-28, ESV
We live in a cutthroat, dog-eat-dog world. People are relentless in their quest for power and success, often stopping at nothing to achieve it. As such, many may read our Lord’s words about sheep and instantly dismiss them as quaint but entirely antiquated and irrelevant to our modern world. Sheep are herd animals, not free thinkers. They are dependent and easily picked off by predators. In our world, we aspire to be wolves and lions, not sheep. And yet, the unavoidable reality of Jesus’ teaching is that he, time and time again, sees us as sheep and invites us to embrace this identity as the way that leads to life!
Our Lord’s words in John 10 help us understand how we should view ourselves, especially in relation to Christ. When we are self-made and self-sustained people searching for significance, it is essential that we are confident in ourselves and enter every room with a composed sense of purpose and clarity. Quite literally, it is the opposite of “sheepish!” However, as disciples of Christ, we are able to be sheepish without losing the dignity and worth that is ours as beloved children of God.
Significance for a sheep is found in the life that is given to them by the shepherd. In and of ourselves, we are vulnerable and weak, but when we join our lives to the life of the flock under his good care, we enter into life eternal, not by right or force, but simply as a gift offered in love.
Life as a sheep under the Good Shepherd’s care heals us of our need to defend and protect ourselves, and it removes an impossible weight from our shoulders. Are we still in need of defense and protection? Of course. Yet as members of the flock, we learn the true source of that care and safety. Life does not originate with us, and we deceive ourselves if we think it is in our power to sustain or control, but when we embrace and celebrate a sheepish life, we “will never perish, and no one will snatch us out of his hand.”
Prayer
Father, heal us of our vain autonomy and quest for significance, and instead teach us the true freedom and life that is found in a sheepish life lived under the care of the shepherd, we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Consider ways you can more fully embrace the life of a sheep in your journey of faith with Christ.
Related Reading
Psalm 23:1-3; Psalm 79:13; Psalm 100:3
Worship Resource
Amanda Cook: Shepherd
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