This looks kind of comical, doesn't it? It appears that one sheep is rolling in the grass, perhaps trying to scratch an itchy back. The truth is, it's not comical at all. When sheep roll over onto their spine like the one in this picture, they do not have the ability to get up. Shepherds refer to them as a "cast" sheep. Being cast is actually life-threatening to the sheep. In this position, gases build up, extremities go numb and frantic flailing, kicking, and bleating exhaust the sheep and give way to despair and death.
One of my favorite authors, Phillip Keller, was once a shepherd in modern day East Africa. In his wonderful book, A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23, he shares his amazing insights on some of the spiritual analogies to be found in comparing ourselves with sheep. In writing about cast sheep, he observes that a sheep left in this awkward position is helpless and vulnerable to attack. He explains that sheep usually find themselves in this predicament for one of three reasons:
First, looking for a comfortable spot to lie down. The sheep that choose the comfortable, soft, rounded hollows in the ground in which to lie down are often the ones who become cast. They have put themselves in a situation that makes it easy to roll over on their backs. The sheep may simply roll onto its side slightly to stretch out or relax. Suddenly its center of gravity shifts so that it turns on its back far enough that its feet no longer touch the ground. It may feel a sense of panic and start to paw frantically. Most of the time, this makes matters worse and the sheep rolls completely onto its back (like the one in the picture). Now it is impossible for it to get up.
In the Christian life there is great danger in always looking for the easy place, the cozy corner, the comfort zone where there is no hardship, no need for endurance, no demand for self-discipline. The time when we think we "have it made" is, in fact, the time we are usually in mortal danger. OMGoodness! Haven't we all "been there, done that"?? 1 Corinthians 10:12 - "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."
When certain sheep become so intent on finding comfort in the hollows that they end up being cast on more than one occasion, the shepherd will move them to a less familiar pasture. You see, a cast sheep that is not on its feet can't follow the shepherd, even though it can hear his voice.
I am at a complete loss for words to even *begin* explaining how profoundly that truth impacts me right now! Last winter many of us sheep in the flock I belonged to were comfortable. We were settled in, stretching out, ready to relax. I don't think we had a clue of how much danger we were in of becoming cast. I know we didn't realize how vulnerable we had become to attack. We got cut off from the fold but our wise and wonderful Shepherd still had us under His full-supervision. He led us to another pasture with many of us bleating loudly and kicking against His staff all the way there. Adjusting to the change of scenery was a little hard at first but today we are REJOICING because we are "on our feet" and following our Shepherd as we listen to His voice call us to press in closer.
Keller notes that the second reason sheep are prone to becoming cast is simply because of having too much wool. When a sheep's fleece becomes very long, it gets heavily matted with mud, manure, burrs and other debris from the pasture. (That explains why many of the sheep I observed in Israel were scruffy and smelly, doesn't it?) In this condition, the sheep literally becomes weighed down by its own wool.
In the Bible, wool symbolically represents the old self-life of the Christian. It's that area of our lives in which we are continually in contact with the world around us . . . the place where we find an accumulation of things, possessions, worldly ideas, etc. clinging to us and beginning to weigh us down. You can see this symbolism portrayed in the fact that no high priest was ever allowed to wear wool into the Holy of Holies. Wool spoke of self, of pride, of personal preference - and God could not tolerate it.
I wonder what "wool" might be weighing us down today and placing us in danger of becoming cast. Are we addicted to food, alcohol, over-spending, over-activity or anything in our lives that we may crave (desire, long for) more than we crave God? Do we have a critical spirit towards others instead of being full of grace? Do we secretly harbor resentment towards those we serve? Are we so bound by perfectionism that we zero in on the one thing our family left undone instead of the many things they *did* do? Are we just never satisfied?
The first thing good shepherds do when they see a sheep become cast because it's fleece is too long and heavy is remedy the situation with a thorough shearing. The shearing is not a pleasant process. Sheep do not enjoy being sheared and it is often hard, nasty and dirty work for the shepherd - but it must be done. Actually, when it is all over both the sheep and the shepherd are relieved. For the shepherd, the threat of his sheep being cast down is removed; while for the sheep there is the pleasure of being set free from a hot, heavy coat.
Can I ask you a personal question? Are you like me today? Are you needing the Master to take you in hand and apply the clean cutting edge of His Word to your life? Has the wool of your "self" and its desires grown too long? Are the burrs, mud and manure of the world clinging to you and causing nasty clumps in your fleece?
There's one more chief reason sheep become cast - and I don't like it. In fact, I'd just as soon Keller had stopped after the second reason. So. I think I will. Stop, that is.
Not forever. Just for now. I need to spend a little time getting sheared. We'll tackle reason #3 in the next post. Hang in there!
Today I want to REMEMBER that I am HIS SHEEP and He wants me on my feet following Him - not reclining comfortably in a place of my choosing - a place that may put me in danger.
Today I want to REMEMBER that I am HIS SHEEP and allow Him to shear away the wool in my life that is weighing me down and tripping me up.
Create in me a clean heart,
O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit
within me.
Psalm 51:10
1 comment:
OUCH !!!!!!!
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