“Do the chickens have large talons?”
Ask a devoted Napoleon Dynamite fan what that means, and they’ll quote you the entire scene where poor Napoleon gets introduced to work on a chicken farm.
Chickens don’t have large talons. Neither do sheep. It’s good to keep that in mind when you find out that Jesus called us sheep.
Sheep have little defense against predators. They don’t have fangs, spines, or quills. They can’t outrun a predator. They can’t even look threatening to an enemy. As Tim Challies puts it:
A dog will bark and growl and show his teeth to warn you away. A lion will roar. A rattlesnake will shake his rattle. A cat will arch his back and hiss. The best a sheep can do is baaa….It is for good reason that no one relies on a guard sheep to keep their property secure. Sheep can’t fight, they can’t run away, and they can’t scare away…Put a sheep in the wild and you’ve just given nature a snack.
When Jesus called us sheep in need of a shepherd, he wasn’t cooing over how warm and soft and cuddly we are. He was saying, “Come to me and stick with me because otherwise you’re just a snack for the enemy.”
Jesus called himself our Good Shepherd in John 10. We must respond with humility and joy.
First, the image says something about us which we must humbly accept. On our own, we’re defenseless and directionless. We may have an alarm system for our homes, and train in martial arts, and keep a pistol in our nightstand. But against the real enemies of our soul, we’re helpless.
Second, the image says something about Jesus which we must joyfully accept. He is powerful enough and interested enough to guard our soul against any and all threats.
Have you accepted these two things? Read John 10 where Jesus claimed to be the shepherd you need, and then study it with me at 10am this Sunday on campus or online at Hillcrest Church!
--Tom
Sign up here to receive Tom Goodman’s weekly devotional in your email inbox. Tom serves as pastor at Hillcrest Church in Austin, Texas. His sermons are available on YouTube and the HillcrestToGo Podcast and you can find him on Facebook and Twitter.