The beloved and kindly image of the shepherd carrying a lamb on His shoulders is a dear and ancient one. This image first appeared in the first centuries in the among Christian art and churches. It has been copied and admired for centuries -
O take care of us, dear Shepherd.
Yet the image isn't entirely as we envision it.
A Shepherd carries a lamb on His shoulders only after the lamb has proven that it cannot stay with the flock. This poor, disobedient lamb must be brought back along on the very shoulders of the shepherd.
But do you know of many animals that will willingly trek for hours on the back of a man? A pet, for a few minutes perhaps. But the animal was carried out of necessity, after the Shepherd would break its legs so it would no longer wander off. He took the liberty of carrying the lamb Himself until it could heal, and so it could be so close to the Shepherd that it would learn to know, and to heed His voice.
It is only the lambs that don't know the voice of the Shepherd that wander away. Only the lambs that don't heed His voice get broken and carried.
Oh, how endearing it is.
This is the chastisement of the Lord for those whom He loves, and afterward, we have sheep that follow, and obey, and have learned.
It is better to be in pain for a short while than to be flesh-torn by a wolf.
Unfortunately, the gospel of emotionalism in the modern era has little place for this type of leadership. Amid the repetitious refrain "Jesus loves you" there is little knowledge of the nature of the Good Shepherd - for a truly good shepherd would not allow a lamb to wander so far as to break its neck in a ravine, or to get lost and be unable to return, or to be ravaged by a predator.
The Good Shepherd will do anything for the sake of His lambs, even break their legs, because God has ordained the ultimate Good from all things, and a broken and obedient sheep is far more useful to Him than a wandering disobedient one that is perfectly well.
Jesus loves You, and because He loves you, He will correct you. He will show you the Way, and by whatever means you will listen. We may choose to obey initially though, learn from the Scriptures:
1 Peter 5:6-8 "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
There are 3 choices, and 3 only.
1. We have a choice of humbling ourselves,
2. Having God humble us, or
3. Be eaten.
And it progresses in those stages, precisely.
When God humbles us, though we will be broken, He carries us and nothing can pluck us out of His hand... Let us not pick and choose our scriptures to make us feel warm, let us see them all with spiritual eyes, understanding the Truth of God.
John 10:4 "And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. "
John 10:14-15 "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. "
John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
Heb 12:4-13 "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now, no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."
And in healing of our limbs, we find obedience, and in obedience, we find righteousness, and in righteousness, we find peace.
We have not yet striven against sin unto blood, nor unto breaking. And this is a hard prayer, but, Break Our Legs, O Jesus.
This ingot contributed by Daniel, of 12th.