When the Good Shepherd likened us to the Sheep of His pasture, He also ‘parabled’ what true fellowship should be. Sheep flock together – always. No matter what – for better or for worse – Sheep always flock together. Any sheep found strolling on his own has simply gone astray. In the Sheep world, it is abnormal to be alone. And when one strays, their ranks are broken and the Shepherd will have sleepless nights looking everywhere for the lost sheep. He will have to cage the rest of the sheep and go out in search of this lost sheep. This is the context within which Jesus, the Good Shepherd called His church, His Sheep.
As the Good Shepherd, he desires to lead a flock not loners. A Shepherd is never an owner of a single sheep but of a flock. He always keeps them together and keep adding to their number. And when he does, he wants them to stay together and lose none. It is impossible to shepherd a scattered sheep and the sheep is in danger when there are scattered.
The Shepherd provides pasture for his Sheep. He leads them together to graze and to drink.
Whatever he provides is for all of them and for their common use. And the Sheep understands that and are wired likewise. So, when the Good Shepherd, likened His Church to Sheep, it is exactly what He meant – to flock together in fellowship sharing every provision provided to each individual through the work of their labour (in the marketplace or by miracle) with one another in the church or fellowship so that none within the church or fellowship should lack and go astray. Just the same way as the Sheep are physically knitted together, Christians are to be emotionally knitted together sharing whatever The Good Shepherd has blessed us with. And He blesses us with different things at different times with the hope that we all share in the things he has blessed us with individually to edify one-another. The edification of one another in the Church is not only with spiritual gifts but also with physical gifts. Everything we own is part of the pasture He has provide the entire flock and we are to graze together.
Like the Sheep, our ranks are broken when we are scattered by how we handle our blessings. When we enjoy our blessings – part of his pasture, with our families alone or saves them (or the rest) somewhere whilst our fellow Christians are in need and struggling, then we have broken our fellowship and gone astray. The irony is that, when you have gone astray – strolling by yourself by not sharing your pasture (blessings, resources etc) with other members of the fellowship, you invite predators/trouble for yourself because you are vulnerable as a loner out there.
You might have robbed the fellowship of part of the pasture God has provided as the Good Shepherd but even worse, made yourself a target for the evil one who is intensely looking out for whom he may devour. This is why there are many amongst us that are sick, poor, living in danger and frail. How will it be if all Christians pooled their resources together and shared freely. Be part of the sheep and not a loner. Do not give The Good Shepherd the additional hustle of leaving the rest and coming to get you.
