Making Sense of Feeding Sheep

Peter's Charge is Our Charge

I have a beautiful friend who brings so much joy and encouragement to my life. She and I discuss life and scripture and more life and more scripture, showing one another the layers of the Word as the Holy Spirit guides our conversations.  Recently we were looking at the final chapter of John. In the first 17 verses, there is so much good stuff!  But there's a section that made me think of you, beloved reader.  A few verses that I hadn't dissected before and thought you might enjoy the revelation as well.

A quick recap:  Peter and a few other disciples have been fishing all night and caught nothing. As they head to shore, a stranger they do not recognize tells them to put their nets onto the right side of the boat.  They do - and the fish are so plentiful that they can't get the net back into the boat.  They realize that the stranger is Jesus and He tells them to bring so fish to shore to have breakfast with Him.  There's a lot of other good stuff in there that we loved discussing, but that's for another day.

So here we are at verse 15.  Breakfast is finished and Jesus wants to talk to Peter.  He asks Peter three times almost the exact same question: Do you love me? If you'll recall, Peter has previously denied Jesus three times (John 18:15-27).  So here Jesus is nullifying those denials with Peter's affirmative answers.  But that's not the focus of my thoughts either.  Let's read the verses together:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you."

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep."

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep."  (John 21:15-17)

Jesus said almost the same thing each time, with just a little variation.  But it's in those variations that the real charge is given.  Remember that no word is wasted in scripture so the words Jesus chose have to matter.

If you've read my other posts - or a lot of the parables of the bible - you'll know that people are symbolized as sheep quite often in scripture due to stubbornness and the need for a Shepherd (who is Christ for believers). But in these three verses, the focus isn't so much on the animal used as it is the age of the animal.

Jesus first says to "feed my lambs."  Lambs are babies.  Like human babies, they need constant care.  They need kept warm, they need protected from danger they don't recognize, and they need fed.  A lot.  And often.  So what is represented here by "lambs" is a new believer in Christ.  Someone who is just learning to walk in their new relationship with Him as their Savior.  They need fed the Word.  A lot.  And often.  Who are they in Christ? What does the Lord say about their value? Why can they trust that His love for them is real? Jesus is telling Peter to feed the new disciples that are being made.

Then He says, "shepherd my sheep." Some bible versions say "tend my sheep."  Sheep are adults.  They can feed themselves and meet basic needs.  But they need guidance.  They need direction.  Once new believers grow and become more mature in their relationship with Christ, they do not need someone feeding them scripture all the time.  But they do need to be tended to.  Discipleship is ongoing.  We aren't meant to walk this road alone after becoming an adult.  In life, we have coworkers, friends, family members, spouses - relationships that keep us from being alone.  The same applies to our life within the church - we need to tend to one another, walking with one another as we encourage and train and lead and keep maturing.  Jesus is telling Peter not to ignore the more mature disciples who need continued guidance.

And then Jesus mixes the two: "feed my sheep."  What?!  We just discussed that lambs need fed, but sheep can feed themselves so what does this mean? Have you ever known a believer in Christ who seemed to just give up?  Have you ever watched someone at church go through so much heartache and tribulation that they lost faith and hope in what they once proclaimed?  Have you ever felt that things were so bad that you had no desire to walk out all the things you knew you were supposed to do?  There are times in life that our burdens feel heavier than we can carry. The pressure of surviving is more important than the call to maturity. There is a danger in distancing ourselves from the Body. It is in those times that we need someone to walk with us and feed us on the simple truths of God. Basic needs become the focus - a listening ear, a ride, a meal. Someone to stand in the gap when praying and worshiping seem too difficult to do on our own. Jesus is reminding Peter that sometimes the adults will need to be fed for a time until they can regroup and rejoin the productive herd.

These three verses are a powerful reminder to us.  We need to be aware of the different lambs and sheep in our lives.  We need to take notice of the different stages the sheep are in.  Sometimes we forget that even a mature adult can end up in trouble. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells of a man who has 100 sheep and one gets lost.  Not a lost lamb, a lost sheep. It doesn't matter how many years we walk with the Lord, we can still get "lost" in the chaos of this world.  Don't misunderstand me.  I'm not talking about losing salvation.  I mean that the burdens of this life can become overwhelming: death of a loved one, a marital problem, an illness, a financial crisis, the worry over a child...any number of things can burden us despite our deep and solid walk with Jesus.

If you know a hungry lamb, feed them.  

If you are a hungry lamb, seek a shepherd.

If you know a sheep that needs shepherded, step up.  

If you are a sheep that needs shepherded, seek a shepherd.

If you know a hungry sheep, by all means, feed them!  

If you are a hungry sheep, by all means, seek a shepherd!

Wherever you are right now, whatever your circumstances, you are loved.  

You are seen by the One who sees it all.  

You are not alone.  

Seek The Shepherd.

The Gate

Yep, Sheep Again

I found this photo about a year ago.  I saved it and think of it often.  I had this blog post in mind almost immediately, but it never got written.  But it's always about God's timing.

The caption on the photo tells you everything you need to know.  Hundreds of sheep, one gate, no fence, sheep only conditioned to use the gate. The person who wrote the words clearly thinks that thinking leads to over-thinking, which can lead to just following the leader.  A few sheep used the gate and all the others ignored the fact that they could simply walk into the same field from their position.

I recently wrote another blog about sheep.  You can read it here.  There's a reason sheep are so often used as the symbolic animal of followers.  Sheep don't tend to think for themselves.  If they do, it's to respond in a very stubborn, often detrimental-to-themselves kind of way.  It reminds me of the social climate going on across the globe right now.  Small numbers of people come up with an idea.  They talk, share, protest, yell their opinions.  In doing so, they convince a few more people that what they're saying makes sense.  Those people influence other people and soon there's a large crowd wreaking havoc because they "think" they're doing the right thing.  I won't get into political labels, but I'm sure you can think of at least one group you've seen making the news in your city, in your country. The United States is certainly not alone in suffering from this mentality.  Sheep follow where they are taught to follow.  If no one is teaching them through love, compassion and safety, they will learn to follow out of fear, hate, convenience, pride, or ignorance.

But I love this photo!  Look at it again.

One gate.  No fence.  And yet the sheep all wait to follow through that one gate.  It doesn't matter that there is a wider space available for them to utilize.  It only matters that they know to follow the leader through the gate.

Does that remind you of anything?

Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14 (Emphasis mine)

This picture is a perfect illustration of what our walk with Christ should look like.  It doesn't matter that there's an easier way.  It doesn't matter that there's a faster way.  It doesn't matter that we lead others by taking a different path.  It matters that we go the right direction, to the right gate, following the right leader.

And who is that leader?  Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd..." John 10:11a  "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."  John 10:27

And where does that Shepherd lead?  "Jesus answered, 'I am the way the truth and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6

This picture that I love so much, that I think of so often, represents us!  We know our Shepherd.  He has taught us to follow Him.  He has shown us that we can only go through one gate - Himself.  We are faced with ways to cheat, ways to get ahead, ways to bypass and cut corners.  Sometimes we even take a wrong turn and follow that stubborn, detrimental instinct.  But if we are truly following Christ, we will ignore the chaos around us.  We will ignore the wolves trying to divert our attention to things of opinion and ego and hatred.  We will not follow a lost sheep into the madness of believing the most popular stories being shared are 'the truth' because we already follow The Truth!

As much as the commenter on this photo meant for it to be an insult to a follow-the-masses mentality, I think it's a simple, yet wonderful way to remind ourselves that following doesn't have to be a bad thing.  It's all about who you choose to be your Leader.

If you find yourself thinking it's been a while since you've heard from Him, ask yourself why.  If you find yourself in the midst of following a voice your heart knows isn't full of Truth, ask yourself why.  It will always be because you stopped listening to the Shepherd. I, too, get busy/tired/distracted/lazy and fail to stay close to Him so that His voice is louder than all the noise around me.  But I cannot remain there.  I long to hear Him.  I long to follow Him.  His gate may be narrow, but His fields are the best!  Don't tarry another moment before you commit to returning to the Shepherd Who loves you most.

Sheeple, Sheeple, Everywhere

Why this isn't a baaaaad thing.

Wikipedia defines sheeple (a combination of the words sheep and people) as "a derogatory term that highlights the passive herd behavior of people easily controlled by a governing power which likens them to sheep, a herd animal that is easily led about."
 
Immediately, this sounds like a pretty awful insult if a group of any particular following is referred to as "sheeple."  Words like "passive," "controlled," and "easily led" don't seem to leave much room for originality or independence.

Have you ever been identified as a 'sheeple' because you were associated with a group that wasn't respected?'  Have you ever used the word to describe others you didn't respect?

It's a relatively new word that came on the scene several years ago.  It proved to be a funny and sometimes accurate description of behavior found among groups of followers.  An easy word to throw out to make fun of those who didn't seem capable of leading themselves in whatever matter was at hand.  But I have come across a very interesting aspect of this insult....

Our social media apps are covered in options to "follow" each other:  Twitter, Facebook, InstaGram, etc all have follow options.  Celebrities are known to have groupies and fans that follow their day to day lives and memorize information about them.  Activists and protestors alike follow a cause and are very vocal to have their thoughts and opinions heard.  

We use phrases encouraging it all the time - follow the leader, follow through, follow your dreams, follow suit, follow your heart, follow your gut, follow directions, follow up, follow me.

It is this human nature to follow that makes us like sheep. 

Google led me to a quote that says, “Sheep will follow each other. You've heard the expression, 'Get one to go and they will all go.' This means that if one sheep will move then the entire flock will follow. This is because of their gregarious instinct, the desire to stay together for protection.” Have you ever seen a street shut down and news crews sent out for a handful of people shouting their opinions on a topic?  Not likely because that small group isn't very persuasive.  It’s the throng of people that gets the attention.  It’s the crowd, the fellow cohorts, the followers that create the momentum to give an idea power.  And the more people you have, the more safe you feel.  That’s why you so often see a large group of people turn to poor behavior – there’s a false sense of security in the safety of numbers.  They don’t realize this is sheep behavior.

Another quote says, “Sheep display an intensely gregarious social instinct that allows them to bond closely to other sheep and preferentially to related flock members.”  Ever wonder why some groups of people gather more followers? It’s because they’re like minded.  Those who believe the same things tend to follow the same things.  Again, sheep behavior.

There are many worthy ideas, causes, and people that I want to keep up with and “be in the know” about. However, as a society – as a human race – our passions are quickly being side tracked by things that should not so quickly have our attention.  If you have access to a television, computer, or newspaper, you know that chaos that is ensuing across the globe.  Whether it’s riots or protests, picket lines or campaigns to raise money, everyone wants the spotlight on their agenda. And the only way a movement grows is to get more what???  Followers!  Spread the word, whether it’s grounded in facts or not, and convince the people you’re right.  Pretty soon, someone, somewhere will have another group of “sheeple” to point out. 

The interesting part of all of this is that we are not only followers, each and every one of us, we were created to be followers.

The problem comes with what we choose to follow. 

Matthew 9: 36 says, “When He [Jesus] saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  So many people are following a leader, an idea, or a lie, that they don’t realize they’re missing a shepherd.

A shepherd’s job is to keep the sheep nurtured, together, and safe.  Nurturing can be through food or through love.  Staying together can be in the same field or on the same schedule.  Being safe can be from predators or from themselves.  I see so many people who are lacking one or all three of these things by following someone or something that isn’t worthy of leading them.

In John 10:11, Jesus says, “I am the good Shepherd.”  John 10:14 says, “I am the good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.”

Jesus is the only One worthy of following! 

It is Christ Who makes our sheep qualities have purpose.  It is Christ Who leads our hearts in the way we should go.  It is Christ Who has the ability to herd us and bring us back when we are stubborn or lost.  Without Him, we are simply falling under the control of another fickle and short lived passion that has no eternal investment.

Thinking back to those quotes from above,  as followers of Christ, we should be encouraging others to follow Him.  That sheep behavior of "Get one to go and they will all go" should be what our churches look like!  We should be so caught up in the desire to "stay together" that we encourage those around us to join us for Jesus' sake.  That sheep behavior to "bond closely" with others and prefer "related flock memebers" goes right along with that.  We should be bonded to our fellow brothers and sisters.  Our congregations are called flocks for a reason - we are members of the same Shepherd's family.  We have sheep tendancies so why do we only act lik sheep when we aren't following the Shepherd?  That's a problem!

I believe that there is a very good reason the term sheeple is derogatory.  It is reserved for those who follow blindly without the hope of a future in whatever they pursue.  But because of the Good Shepherd, we can be led by the One who holds our future in His hands and calls us by name to follow Him into righteousness.



Here is a great breakdown of how Jesus is our shepherd. 

And this page has a wonderful list of twelve characteristics of sheep and how we behave just like them!