Step To the Right Please

…and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  (Matthew 25:32 NIV) 

            The Bible is divided into twos.  Two sons; two animals; two plants; two men in a field; two women at a mill; two resurrections; ultimately, two destinies.  Jesus died between two different thieves.  Either you know God, as He can only be known through Jesus, or you don’t.  Goats are just an illustration.  It’s not that God hates goats.  He said on day six that they were “good.”  I kinda like them, too.  It’s just an illustration, but I’ve looked into it.  I’m no expert, and I know that this simple statement meant far more to Middle Eastern shepherds two thousand years ago than it does to us today, but even to folks like us, there are vast differences between sheep and goats.  For instance, sheep (Ovis Aries) have 54 chromosomes, while goats (Capri Hircus) have 60.

Don’t make a doctrine  out of this, but here are three differences between sheep and goats.  Sheep have very strong herding instincts, while goats tend to be very independent.  Are you a person who is deeply devoted to unity?  Would you be willing to surrender your point of view if it kept things moving forward?  I’m not talking about compromising in sin, or in any belief that makes us Christians in the first place.  I’m just asking if fellowship means more to you than your own ego.  Secondly, the tail of a sheep goes down, while the tail of a goat goes up.

My point is that perhaps we could tell the sheep from the goats by what follows them?  Like the priests of old who carried the Ark of the Covenant, are you a carrier of the mercy seat?  When you walk into a room do people think, “Praise God, mercy’s here!”  Does the fragrance of Christ follow you or is it something, shall we say, “unpleasant” that you leave behind?  Finally, sheep have a tear gland while goats do not.  It’s funny how we can cry at the end of a movie, but we can walk past overwhelming pain without batting an eye.  We’re told to rejoice with those who rejoice (that, too, is difficult for goats), but also to mourn with those who mourn.  The only people who are really looking forward to the day when God wipes every tear from our eyes are people who have known what it was to cry over the things that break God’s heart.

I know that because you’re reading this that you are, or long to be, a sheep.  That’s great!  The Good Shepherd has laid down His life for you.  He faced the wolf and didn’t run away.  He knows your name.  He will take you through the valley of the shadow of death.  You will dwell in the house of the Lord forever; and even now you have heard and know His voice.  We have a lot to praise God for!  Let’s put all we have into getting along together (herding), bringing joy into people’s lives (humility), and allowing God to share His broken heart through us (tears).  Let’s live this day for our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep. Chris Thompson is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves as a pastor in England. He will be speaking at America’s Keswick this summer.

Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 12-13; 1 Thessalonians 2

Quote of the day:  When God is about to do something great, he starts with a difficulty.

When he is about to do something truly magnificent, he starts with an impossibility. Armin Gesswein

Bible Memory: Teach my your way, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe with my whole heart. – Psalm 119:33-34