The good shepherd laughed at his herd of sheep. The herd was following the alpha around, and as a small rodent startled the alpha, and he jumped. In turn, each of the following sheep jumped in that same spot, even thought the rodent had long since disappeared.
Weird, silly creatures. He wouldn't trade them for anything.
These were his sheep. He glanced at them lovingly. Sure they were a pain in the rear sometimes, and man, could they be dumb! Despite their flaws, they were his.
The image faded from Seh's mind, but was immediately replaced with a new one as Jesus continued his story about a hired hand...
The good shepherd had to take a journey, and a hired hand was watching over his sheep in his absence. The hired hand didn't care about the sheep. They drove him crazy with their constant bleating, falling into ditches, and smelliness! Why, he even shoved them around!
One day, a wolf came. As soon as the hired hand saw the wolf stalking the sheep at the edge of the herd, he hid behind a tree. When he was certain the wolf hand not seen him, he ran away.
Leaving the sheep defenseless. Many died, and the rest were scattered.
Seh blinked. What a horrid ending! The hired hand should have defended the sheep. Saved them. Done something. If it had been the good shepherd, he would have given his life for the sheep, Seh was certain of it!
Then it dawned on Seh. Jesus was THE GOOD SHEPHERD. Seh shook his head in amazement. If Jesus was anything like that shepherd, he was going to follow him.
Based on John 10:11-13
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep." John 10:11-13
Jesus is comparing Himself to a good shepherd, one who cares about his sheep. Jesus says that a hired hand doesn't care about the sheep. A hired hand is just kind of there, hanging out. What if a wolf appears while the hired hand is there? The wolf is intent on harming and devouring the sheep, and a hired hand is not going to mess with him. He's going to save his own neck! So he runs away.
The good shepherd would have laid down his life for his sheep, because even though they are dumb and a pain in his rear, he loves them. His job is to protect them.
Some of you are reading this, and you come from a past filled with hurt. You feel like all God and Jesus have even done is abandon you. You need to understand that He hasn't.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
God even gave his son to die for you. Jesus laid down his life for you, like a good shepherd does for the sheep he loves. The world is full of "hired hands" who are watching over us. Unless they are Godly people, they don't care about us. Then the enemy comes, and we are hurt.
But God has not abandoned you.
The Good Shepherd loves you. He's coming for you. And He will care for you. Don't let the enemy scatter you. Don't abandon The Good Shepherd. Even in ways we can't see or understand, He's taking care of you.
Hang on sheep. Hang on.
V. Joy Palmer
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