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A Sheepish Story

  • Writer: Debbie Salter Goodwin
    Debbie Salter Goodwin
  • Jul 9
  • 2 min read

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Counterfeits are not our friends. Whether they involve money or people, they trick us into feeling comfortable when we shouldn’t.


So when Jesus told a story about goats trying to move into the pen made for sheep, the shepherds in his listening audience understood what he was talking about.

Here’s the way I tell the story:


Once, there was a shepherd who had many sheep. He loved to stand on the hillside as his sheep dogs nipped at their heels and corralled the sheep toward a pen that would keep them safe for the night.


The shepherd also had goats chomping through the brush on a more rugged part of his land.  After the sheep were safely penned, they would be next.


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As the shepherd watched his sheep flow like milk running down a hill, he saw a drama unfolding.  A group of goats had joined the sheep.   Same matted hair, though shorter.  A slimmer body without a coat of wool.  And the beard.  These were no sheep. A handful of goats had joined the herd and worked their way to the center, keeping their heads down, hoping no one would notice.


The sheep didn’t seem to care. They didn’t mind if skinny, short-hairs shared the pen with them. What was the problem?


But the shepherd knew that the goats were troublemakers among the insecure sheep. What looked okay as goats ran with the sheep would soon become conflicts where the sheep were no match for the goats.


The shepherd swiftly walked to the gate as the sheep entered. When he saw the goats, he took the crook of his staff and pulled them out. The goats could fool the sheep, but not the shepherd.

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The message Jesus shared with this story is unmistakable. Counterfeiting as a Christian won’t get you to Jesus.  Respectable living by itself won’t get you to Jesus. Good morals aren’t enough.  There must be a transformation inside that shows up outside, not just with words. We must live publicly and privately with Christ-pleasing attitudes and motives that drive actions.


The warning of this story is clear.  Don’t wait.  The time is now to be who you were created to be—a sheep following the shepherd to the last pen.


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