The lost sheep.

Luke 15 v 3-7

You may have seen pictures on Facebook of Baarack an Australian sheep who had been in the wild for five years and was weighed down with an incredible 77 lbs of fleece. He looked like a moving boulder because his wool was caked with dirt and mud and twigs and insects were embedded in it. The shearer could not get through the fleece with his normal shears but had to use special tools because the wool was so solid.
Baarack’s story made me think of the parable of the lost sheep in the gospel of Luke. Jesus tells his listeners that a good shepherd will leave the rest of the flock to go after the sheep that is lost. But why was the sheep lost? The grass may have looked sweeter further away from where the rest of the flock were grazing, or the straying sheep may have felt like exploring, but leaving the shepherd’s care was a dangerous move.
When we wander from God’s care, at first we barely notice the weight that sin is laying on us but it grows like Baarack’s fleece until it is an intolerable burden which threatens our very existence.
Baarack was near death when he was discovered. The wool was covering his eyes so he couldn’t see properly and he hadn’t fed properly for years.

If we carry our woes and sins for years, we too become weak and blind but the Good Shepherd never stops searching for us and when He finds us, He will bring us to safety and remove all the dirt and weight of sin, just like Baarack’s fleece.