“When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36
Someone has said that of all the animals, sheep are the least intelligent. Their foolish carelessness often places them in danger or causes illness just because they are not smart enough to understand the consequences.
The first problem sheep have is their eating habits. Sheep don’t live very exciting lives. They spend their time wandering from grass clump to grass clump trying to get their fill of grass. Often these eating habits make them wander away because they are so intent on eating and not paying attention to where they should be.
A second problem is that sheep follow a leader. Often one sheep in a flock commands attention from the rest. Where he leads, the flock will follow. Without thinking, they blindly follow the leader, regardless of any danger that it might bring. Some shepherds claim that if the lead sheep falls off a cliff, the rest of the flock will usually be right behind him, never realizing how foolish their following may be.
A third problem is that sheep do not defend themselves. They will refuse to fight against a predator, and they also refuse to run away. Instead they huddle together, making themselves easy targets for their enemies.
We feel a bit sorry for sheep. They are so foolish they place themselves in terrible situations. Are we any different? Might we be like sheep that wander from the fold in search of something, not realizing we are wandering away from Jesus?
Like sheep, we sometimes follow false teachers who lead us astray. And just as sheep are helpless against those trying to harm them, so we have no power on our own to fight against the devil’s schemes. The only hope we have is that the Good Shepherd will protect us. We can understand the words of 1 Peter 2:25:
“You were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” Let us thank Jesus today and every day that he is always there to watch over us, his foolish, thoughtless sheep!
Tender shepherd, never leave us,
Never let us go astray;
By Your warning love directed,
May we walk the narrow way!
Thus direct us, thus defend us,
Lest we fall an easy prey. Amen.
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