Sheep & Wolves
Do you ever feel like your challenges are more than a match for you? Maybe your financial situation looks impossible, or you need to confront someone about something that you think might make them really mad, possibly your work feels too hard or beyond your skill-set, or maybe you feel lonely or depressed and you are not sure if you will ever feel good again. These are all horrible feelings, and I don’t wish them on anyone, but they are part of life – even life in the Kingdom.
When Jesus sent the 12 apostles on a ministry trip (Matthew 10:16) - and when He later sent out the 70 (Luke 10:3) - He said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” To the 70 He actually said, “Like lambs among wolves.” The point is that they would never be a match for their opposition. Lambs and sheep will never overcome wolves. Have you ever heard of a flock of sheep cornering even a single wolf? Sheep are helpless little morsels before their opposition without the aid of a good shepherd. The shepherd carries the rod and the staff to whip up on the wolves and to direct the sheep and snag them out of trouble.
Jesus sent His followers out in a helpless condition – even telling them not to take any supplies with them (Luke 10:4ff). He didn’t want them to have any illusion of self-sufficiency. No lamb is self sufficient. Jesus – the “Good Shepherd,” who was willing to lay down His life for His sheep – was their only real resource and hope. And He proved Himself to be more than sufficient.
** Can you acknowledge and accept that you are a sheep in this world?
** Are there any practical needs that you want to bring to the Shepherd’s attention?
** You may want to meditate on Psalm 23 in a fresh way.
Who/what were the wolves to which Jesus was referring? Some tend to think the wolves were/are mean people that don’t receive believers or their message. But, that is not how Jesus thought of people who don’t know God. He saw them as “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) It seems that all people might be most healthily viewed as sheep. They are either sheep with a shepherd or sheep without a shepherd. The wolves are the spiritual forces of evil behind people. These forces, like the enemy himself, “come to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10) sheep. People can be the mouthpieces and even the hands of these spiritual wolves, but in themselves they are sheep. Even when being used for evil, they are nothing more than harassed and helpless and victimized sheep. So, don’t view people as your enemies, or as terrifying wolves. They are just people that have hurts and needs like you and me, possibly even deeper ones than we have . The wolves are the challenges of life that are more than a match for us, and evil forces from which the Shepherd will deliver us. (Matthew 6:13) - Don’t be overwhelmed by the wolves, Jesus is your Shepherd and He will lead you. He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
** Are there any wolves that you want to bring to Jesus’ attention?
Depending on the Shepherd with you,
Pastor Tom Griffith
