The Original Crook and Sheep Story
”... our Lord Jesus the great shepherd of the sheep.” Hebrews 13, 20
A Tale from Wee Lamb and Wee-er Lamb.
“What happens now, Wee Lamb?” asked Wee-er Lamb.
“How do you mean?”
“Well, we found the baby ....”
“Aye, and it was just the way the angels said it would be.”
“I don't like to hear you talk about the angels, Wee Lamb, because I didn't see them, remember?” said Wee-er Lamb.
“ I know that, I didn't mean to remind you, I just can't forget them, that's all.” Wee Lamb apologised.
“You told me not to worry about them, just to think about the baby, and all you can do is think about the angels and talk about them .....”
“I'm sorry, I'm sorry Wee-er Lamb. You're right, I do think about them too much. It's just, well... But you're right, Wee-er Lamb, what does happen now? We've seen the baby, the shepherds got down on their knees and we were able to wander right up to him in the manger.”
“The shepherd stopped me when I tried to climb in beside him though,” said Wee-er Lamb regretfully.
“Well, you can't blame him for that. What about the Mother though, wasn't she lovely? She didn't seem at all surprised about the angels and why we'd come to see her baby. She just smiled when the shepherds told her about the angels. You'd think it happened all the time. It's not normal for a baby to be born in a stable.
"I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43,1
Further thoughts of Wee Lamb and Wee-er Lamb.
"Do you think he wants to be a shepherd?"
"The baby?"
"Who else would I mean?"
"Well, you might mean the son of our shepherd, who doesn't exactly seem to have much aptitude for sheep."
"Aye, you're right there. Did you see the mess he made of that wee-wee-er lamb coming into the world the other night?"
"I'm sorry for him, actually."
"Why?"
"Well if he's not good at shepherding he should be able to do something else."
"And what would he do, do you think?"
"I don't know, I'm glad we only have to eat grass and we even get told where to go and eat the grass."
"I overheard Joseph saying to one of the other shepherds that he was a carpenter and he had made a fine cradle for the baby back home in Nazareth. Well, wouldn't you think he'd want to be a carpenter too?"
"Oh, well, you just don't know how these human lives are going to turn out. If King David could start out as a shepherd and end up as a King, who's to say our wee baby couldn't be a carpenter, a shepherd and a King."
"I suppose you're right. A lot would depend on how long you live I suppose. You know, if he lived a long time, he'd be able to be lots of things, but if he only lived a short time, well maybe he'd only manage to be a shepherd."
"Humans live a lot longer than we do - or so I have come to understand."
"Ah, but I heard, we're not be, eh well, you know, killed."
"Why not?"
"Well, I heard that because we'd been to the stable and seen the baby, we're special and we're to be kept alive."
It wouldn't be normal for us either. We'd have to make do with outside on the hillside, and I'm sorry to mention them, but angels don't normally announce a baby's birth.”
“I heard one of the shepherds say that he was going to be a King and another one said he was going to be a Shepherd,” said Wee-er Lamb, “but he can't be both, can he?”
“Oh, yes, King David was both, but not at the same time. Shepherd first, King second,” said Wee Lamb knowledgeably.
“Do you think that's why we went to see him because he's going to be a great shepherd? But how would they know that? Do you think he might be our shepherd. Do you think when he grows up he might come looking for us and look after us? Do you think?”
“Wee-er Lamb, I hate to say this, you being of such tender years and all that, but when that baby is old enough to be our Shepherd, we probably won't be here.”
“Oh, but he might come looking for us, on a long journey,” said Wee-er Lamb, undaunted.
"Wee-er Lamb.” Wee Lamb tried to approach the subject of their deaths as carefully as he could. “If we're not killed for our food or for our skin, sometimes they sacrifice us. Do you understand, Wee-er Lamb?”
“Maybe when the baby grows up they won't have to do that and then we might live forever. Do you think, Wee Lamb?”
“Aye. Maybe, Wee-er Lamb, maybe.”
"Is that right? Well, I never! But is that not justa wee bit unfair? Surely that just means that that another sheep will be eaten or sacrificed instead of us."
"Well, I can't help that. All I know is that the shepherds who carried us to Bethlehem were talking this morning and they said that we were special sheep and they didn't want to kill us. They wanted to have us with them always to remind them of the special baby and the angels, and the mother and everything else that happened that night."
"To remind them! I wouldn't think they'd need reminding. I'll never forget it - even if I was to live as long as a human."
"Ach, but you know how bad these human memories are - and their staying power."
"I don't know what to say. But if we're still in the flock, how will they know us from the rest of the sheep. They might make a mistake."
"They won't. They're even going to give us names. "I have called you by name, you are mine." That's in scripture."
"What's scripture?"
"Holy words."
"What's Holy?"
"What the baby is."
"Eh? He's a shepherd, a carpenter, a king, and now he's Holy as well. I wonder what else he'll be before he's finished on this earth?"
"I wonder too, Wee-er lamb. And I wonder how his life is going to be."
"Do we know our names?"
"No. I wonder what they are going to call us."
"You're doing an awful lot of wondering, Wee Lamb. It's usually me that does that."
"It's infectious, Wee-er Lamb. Wonder is infectious."
"What's infectious?"
"Faith. Faith is infectious."
"What's faith?"
“Faith is a wonder, Wee-er Lamb, faith is a very great wonder.”
“Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.”
Luke 15, 6
The Found Sheep
"Shepherd, is it really you? I got lost."
"Yes, it's really me and yes, I know you did."
"I don't know how it happened. I'm sure I was just eating grass as usual and suddenly I was alone and I couldn't see you or the flock. Where are the rest of the sheep? I'm really tired, shepherd. Are the flock far away? I don't think I can walk very far."
"Hush now, I'll carry you on my shoulders and we'll soon be home."
"Did you really leave the flock and come and get me. I'm just one wee sheep. I'm not worth a lot."
"Don't say that. You're worth heaven and earth to me and more."
"Really? Me? I really mean that much to you?
"Yes, you do."
"Thank you, shepherd. You're a really good shepherd."
"Thank you. Nice of you to say so."
"I can see things clearer from sitting on your shoulder."
"I expect you can."
"It's worth being lost to be so close to you now. I had no idea you loved me so much. Shepherd did you really really leave the rest of the flock for me? How did you know where I was? I didn't even know where I was. So how come I got lost in the first place? Oh yeh, I remember. I wasn't really paying attention to you or where I was going. I didn't mean to get lost. I couldn't see things clearly. Couldn't see where I was going."
"I know. I understand. It's alright now."
"Shepherd?"
"Yes."
"What's going to happen when we get back to the flock? I won't be able to sit on your shoulder then. You'll be too busy with the rest of the flock."
"Well, you don't have to wander off and get lost and found again to feel close to me. I'm always close to you. Sometimes you feel it and sometimes you'll feel as if I'm on the other side of the field. It still helps to take time out so that you can ignore all the other things that are going on around you and just be close to me. Just take a bit of time to draw close and to become aware of that closeness and listen and I'll be there and you'll feel as close as we are now."
"Really, I'll try and remember that but I will try and take time to be alone with you."
"I'll help you. Don't forget that, because I enjoy your company too."
"Shepherd?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry I wandered off. I didn't mean to go so far from the flock."
"That's OK."
"Shepherd, are you not angry with me?"
"No. Why would I be angry with you?"
"Because I wandered off."
"I understand you might think that, and I also understand that that might keep you from looking for me, but really, I'm not angry with you."
"Mmm. I was frightened."
"I know. I thought you would be."
"Is that why you came and got me?"
"Part of it."
"What's the rest of it?”"Simply because I love you and I want the best for you and I want you to be close to me."
"Do you really love me? Really, really love me?"
"Yes. So much so that when we get home I'm going to get the neighbours in and there will be lots of rejoicing."
"Over me, because you found me?"
"Yes and because you're glad I've found you, and you're sorry you got lost, and because you're asking so many questions and because you're home."
."Shepherd?"
"Yes."
"Do you like people to ask questions? Does it not annoy you?
"No, it doesn't annoy me. It's how you get to know me. It's how I can let you find out how I am and who I am."
"That's good, because I've got lots of questions. Who are the neighbours?"
"Now, that's a whole different story!"
"Shepherd?"
"Yes."
"Why are you not angry with me?"
"You don't know me very well, do you?"
"No, I don't think I do. I thought I did."
"Well, you'll need to get to know me a lot better - and I'll introduce you to our neighbours."
"At the party?"
“And everywhere along the road."
"That'll be fun."
"You can be sure of that, Sheepie, absolutely sure of that.”