Sheep are dumb, right? At least that is what I always assumed. After all, their flocking behavior often causes them to demonstrate some bizarre behavior, which tends to support the dim-witted perception. For instance, in 2005 some Turkish shepherds watched in stunned dismay as one of their sheep jumped off a cliff to its death. But then to their greater dismay, they watched helplessly as one sheep after another followed that first sheep and jumped off the same cliff. That day almost 1,500 sheep plunged to their deaths. No wonder, when we think of sheep the first that comes to mind is that sheep are dumb!
So why would Jesus use the shepherd/sheep analogy so prominently in his teachings? At first glance, it doesn’t seem to be a very encouraging comparison – until you dig a bit deeper.
After a bit of research, I discovered the problem sheep have isn’t their brain power, it is their sight. They have eyes on each side of their head, so their vision is only peripheral, which means they can’t see what is in front of them. But what they lack in vision, they make up for in hearing. They have exceptional hearing AND exceptional voice recognition.
Not too long ago I came across a fascinating You Tube video that documents an experiment to answer this question: “Do sheep only obey their shepherd’s voice?”
Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e45dVgWgV64
Amazing, right! These sheep are so smart. It’s not just the words that are spoken, but it is the voice that speaks the words. They didn’t respond to just any voice – only the voice of their shepherd.
Perhaps this is why Jesus said that sheep follow their shepherd, “because they know his voice . . . They will never follow a stranger, in fact, they will run away from him because they know (recognize) his voice” (John 10:4-3 NIV)
Sheep can distinguish the voice of their shepherd from all the other voices and are committed to following ONLY his voice.
So sheep aren’t so dumb after all! But sometimes I think we are. As HIS sheep, we rely on our sight too much. We want to see where our Shepherd is leading us before we follow. We want to see answers to our prayers before we listen.
But our Shepherd wants us to be like sheep, not to rely on our sight, but to focus in on what He is speaking! To know His Voice so well that our response is automatic – to follow only Him!
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep and my sheep know me. . . They will listen to my voice. “(John 10:14, 16 NLT)
Joy Gruits is a Christian educator, speaker, and writer. Her passion is to share a Biblical truths that challenge and motivate people to become devoted followers of Christ who fulfill God's divine purpose for their lives.
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Joy,
I can hardly type these words because tears are flowing from my eyes. Today I was just reading John 10. I’m going to be teaching tomorrow night about The Tabernacle and the Lampstand. The lampstand was the only object in the Holy Place that gave forth light necessary for the priests to see what they were doing. This all led me to John 10. It was the Feast of Dedication (Hannukah — Feast of Lights). Jesus had just told the Pharisees that He was the gatekeeper to the sheep. No one enters the gate unless they go through Him.Then he told them He was the shepherd and that His sheep know His voice and follow Him. They will never follow a stranger — in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. This is the voice I choose to listen to and follow all the days of my life. Thank you for your timely message and word of confirmation to me today! Love you my friend, Shelley
Your words are such an encouragement to me!! Thank you for sharing! Love, Joy
Some of us really are dumb sheep. I am praying that God opens only my ears to His voice. Great message, Joy.
This was truly fascinating Joy. I had never heard that about a Sheep’s eyes before. So glad you shared this 🙂
I was surprised too when I researched this! Thanks for your response. 🙂
Loved “hearing” this message again❤️😘