“You silly sheep” is the insult hurled
At persons who commit folly,
Yet Jesus chose to be the Lamb
To die for our stupidity.
More that that he is the Shepherd
That looks after silly sheep,
I am glad I am one of them
For at night I can comfortably sleep.
This poem is named “Sheep-ology”
For in it we will study sheep,
And I trust that will stay with me
As I do not intend to be very deep.
As I said before I am a sheep
And not given to too much study
But bear with me on this occasion
As I share with you “Sheep-ology”.
It’s not a good-looking animal
I am sure with this you would agree,
Its ugliness may be its lone defense
That’s one point to being ugly.
No horns, no growl, no bark
Nothing to frighten off an enemy,
No tricks, no guile, no fleetness of feet
The sheep is an animal most silly.
No notion of hunting for its food
Or even to search for water
But as soon as these needs arise
The silly sheep becomes a wailer.
Its legs appear prone to break
So spindly for its ill shaped body
And its fore legs being shorter than the back
Hinders its running away in a hurry.
Its vision is surely not the best
When compared to other animals,
Perhaps that is one of the reasons
It is so dependable on people.
Animals do some form of grooming
But you’ll not find this with a sheep,
Sheep are at home in their urine and filth
And never a time do they smell sweet.
Sheep are very easily spooked
Especially when they are grazing
But the way they follow a leader
Is absolutely amazing.
Like the camel and the llama
Their teeth are made for grass
The front to bite the back to chew
Meat would be an impossible task.
The Psalmist David in the Psalms
Paints a picture of the sheep
And of the caring Shepherd also
That does not ever sleep.
The sheep needs no other defense
Whilst in this Shepherd’s care
And even when confronted by evil
Need not be overcome with fear.
The sheep to which I refer
Are the sheep in the Master’s care,
The sheep for which he gave his life
His sheep both far and near.
I rejoice in being Jesus’ sheep
It’s the best decision I ever made
Call me a silly sheep if you wish
I was lost but now I am saved.
No need of horns or fleet of feet
Neither claws nor ferocious growl,
I am safe within the Shepherd’s fold
Saved from the enemy most foul.
In the consideration of the world
I might not be bright
But this sheep is walking by faith
And definitely not by sight.
Stewart Russell © April 2019
