The Lord is my Shepherd

Many animals and birds have some sort of an order and structure in their community. It has long been known that chimpanzees have leaders to guide in their travel, chickens have a pecking order and wolves have a structured leadership and division of labor. Lions have a patriarchal style of leadership, while elephants have strong matriarchal leaders. The ways that leaders in such groups promote those collective actions is still a mystery. Sheep on the other hand have no formal structure in their flock. They don’t know how to negotiate or navigate through their worlds. A sheet of paper blown by the wind will frighten them. A thunderstorm may throw them into a panic. They may drown without a struggle while crossing a stream. Fire in a building where sheep are kept may destroy a whole flock, because they are too frightened to flee. They need an external source of leadership to bring order and structure for their survival.

The Bible often refers to human beings as sheep (Ps. 100:3; Isa. 53:6; Matt. 9:36) that need an external leader for survival. Jesus was moved with compassion on people because they were scattered as sheep having no shepherd (Matt 9:36). In spite of our advances in knowledge and technology we are unable to comprehend beyond our understanding. Intelligence can think about only what is intelligible. Human understanding is very limited and always going to be restricted by our limitation of time and space.

When it comes to deliverance from evil, sin and death, human race is totally helpless. There is an ultimate source of authority that controls and sustains the creation. One Theologican puts it this way: "That which nothing greater can be conceived must exist". I am amazed at the vast amount of knowledge that we still cannot concieve in this universe. Albert Einstein has said, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.” I can understand how a baby is born, but I do not understand why the mother has a love bonding to the baby. Science can define the existence of the baby, but nobody can define the love bond.

We need a source beyond us to rescue us from our limitedness of humanity to the vastness of eternity. We need a leader outside of our being. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10). Paul testifed, "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).

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Blessings

Mathew Philip

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