Originally posted 4/17/20
Long ago sheep and wolves were friends. The sheep and wolves lived together and played together. The shepherds loved laying against a tree, watching the animals play with each other. The wolves and sheep would play games like tag, and hide and go seek. At night the wolves would lay next to the sheep so they would stay warm. Everyone lived in perfect harmony. Life was good!
Then one day everything changed. Nobody quite knew what changed or how that change came, but there was no doubt that things would never be the same again. One day the wolves no longer wanted to play with the sheep, rather they decided the sheep would make a really good meal. The shepherds and the sheep were unprepared to handle such a drastic change and many sheep were slaughtered that day. From that day on the shepherd’s all agreed it was their responsibility to ensure the sheep were safe.
There came a time when there was a flock of sheep. They lived a good life. Every morning the Good Shepherd came to the gate and said, “Little sheep, it’s time to go play!” Every morning the sheep would gather at the gate, eager to go with the shepherd. The Good Shepherd would lead them to fields filled with lush, delicious green grass to eat. He always made sure there was a spring with cool, refreshing water to drink. The sheep would spend the day eating, drinking, and playing. They were secure because they knew that if any wolves came, the Good Shepherd would protect them. In the afternoons the sheep would gather around the Good Shepherd for a nap. As they drifted off to dreamland the Good Shepherd would tell them stories and sing to them. At the end of the day the Good Shepherd would lead the sheep back to the pen and say, “Good night my little sheep. I’ll see you in the morning. Make sure that you wait for me. I’ll come for you when the time is right.”
Life was good for all the sheep in Eden until one day when a menacing creature came to live in the town. An ugly, vicious wolf, along with his family, came to live in a house on the outskirts of town. The alpha wolf was known for being a trickster. He had spent his life learning how to impersonate any creature. He quickly learned how to get his meals. He would hide in the bushes and study his prey. Then when one of the sheep went too far away from their flock and the shepherd was busy taking care of the other sheep, the wolf would transform himself to look like one of the sheep. He would then coax the sheep to go with him behind the bushes. When his dinner was just out of sight from the shepherd and other sheep, the wolf would turn back and kill the poor lamb. Time after time this would happen. The shepherds would try to be vigilant and keep their sheep safe, but it was difficult to know when the wolf would strike. One day the wolf had a brilliant idea. Why disguise himself to get only one sheep at a time, when he could get a whole flock of sheep? His plan was flawless, or so he thought.
One morning a person came to the gate. He was dressed like the Good Shepherd and smelled like the Good Shepherd and even sounded a lot like the Good Shepherd. He said, “Little sheep, it’s time to play!” The sheep were always so happy to spend time with the Good Shepherd, and went willingly with this man thinking they were going with the Good Shepherd. They didn’t realize that this man was really the imposter. The man opened the door to the gate and led the sheep away. They all pranced along following the imposter. Everything seemed wonderful at first. He led them to a lush field just like the real good shepherd did. However, the field they went to was a field the sheep had never seen before. The sheep thought it strange that the Good Shepherd would take them to a new place, and even questioned if this guy really was the Good Shepherd. There was talk that this shepherd was really the wolf, but they decided to ignore their suspicions and eat and play. After all this field did have everything they needed. The day was going perfectly when all of the sudden a vicious wolf came. He was snarling and was certain to take one of the sheep. Suddenly the imposter struck the wolf and killed it. These sheep were now certain that this imposter was their good shepherd. They felt safe and secure with him.
That evening as the sheep were following the imposter, he didn’t take the road that led back to the pen. The sheep wondered where they were going, but they knew they were safe with their good shepherd. The sheep walked and walked until they got to the woods. They weren’t sure where they were going, but decided to trust this man because they knew he would take care of them and keep them safe. They walked deeper and deeper into the woods until they reached a big cabin with a pen for farm animals in the back. The imposter led them to the pen and told them to get in. Although they were afraid, they willingly went into the pen.
The sheep stood in their new mysterious home wondering what to do. Meanwhile the imposter locked the gate and got the sheep’s attention. He took off his robe and revealed the truth to them. He confirmed that their doubts about his identity were correct. He wasn’t a shepherd at all. In fact he was actually the dreaded wolf in shepherd’s clothing. He spent years perfecting his impersonation of the Good Shepherd. He was tired of working so hard and risking his life for a simple meal. He had needs too and nobody seemed to even care.
That same morning the Good Shepherd came to the gate and instantly saw that all of his sheep were missing. He ran and searched for the missing sheep. He looked everywhere but sadly he couldn’t find the sheep. Enraged, he vowed he would recover his missing sheep. He started asking all the other shepherds if they knew where his missing sheep were. He looked high and low. There weren’t any signs of his missing sheep. Feeling distraught he decided to look in places sheep don’t naturally go because of the danger of predators. He started walking around in the woods, knowing that if his sheep were in here, they would be terrified. He walked for what seemed like hours and was about to give up when he thought he saw the sun reflecting off a shiny object. As he got closer to the reflecting light, he realized it was a window on a cabin. His heart leaped with joy as he saw that there was a pen in the back. Hoping and praying that this is where his missing sheep were, he walked around the back.
As the Good Shepherd came around the corner he felt relief wash over him as he saw his beloved sheep. The moment he laid eyes on them he knew they were afraid. His only desire was to rescue them and take them back home where he could watch over them and keep them safe. The Good Shepherd went to the gate and try as he may he couldn’t open the gate. As he was looking for something to break apart the fence, he heard a noise behind him. He turned around to see the ugliest wolf he had ever seen. His hair was all straggly, and his teeth yellow. As he got closer the Good Shepherd could smell the stench of the wolf’s breath. Nothing about this creature resembled the Good Shepherd.
“What do you think you are doing?” asked the imposter.
“These are my sheep and I have come to rescue them.” The Good Shepherd replied.
“You can’t just come onto MY property and take what belongs to ME. I went to the common sheep pen and opened the gate and these sheep followed me willingly. I didn’t force them to come. It was totally their choice.” said the imposter.
“That may be true, but you tricked them. They didn’t know what they were doing. They thought they were following ME.” The Good Shepherd tried his best to remain calm, but he knew the law. He knew that he would have to redeem his sheep. He would have to buy them back.
The people in ancient times described what it took to redeem something. The two individuals would need to fight. They each could choose one weapon. The weapon could be a sword, an ax, a spear, or a shield. The winner would be determined by who was still living at the end. Yes, they would fight to the death. The act of shedding blood would pay the price, and the object being redeemed would be given free and clear to the winner, never to be taken away, ever.
The Good Shepherd and the imposter agreed that they would fight in two days. They would play by these ancient rules in the center of town. During those two days neither the Good Shepherd nor the imposter were allowed to have access to the sheep. The sheep were placed back into the common pen in the center of town, and the winner would come and get them at the end of the fight.
The imposter was certain he would win. He had hatched a plan that ensured the Good Shepherd would lose. He couldn’t believe that the Good Shepherd would be so naive as to agree to this fight. He always knew that he was smarter and better at everything than the Good Shepherd, and now all the other people will know too. Ridding the town of the Good Shepherd once and for all is what is best for all the people in town.
Recent Comments