Hired Hand
There are those few consultants who care more about the power or prestige or paycheck.
A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of the dust cloud toward him. The driver, a young man in a Broni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie leaned out the window and asked the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?"
The shepherd looks at the man, then looks at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers, "Sure."
The young man parks his car, whips out his notebook and connects it to a cell phone, then he surfs to a NASA page on the Internet where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system, scans the area, and opens up a database and Excel spreadsheets with complex formulas. He sends an e-mail on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response. Finally, he prints out a 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized printer, then turns to the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1,586 sheep."
"That is correct, take one of the sheep," says the shepherd. He watches as the young man selects one of the animals and bundles it into his car.
Then the shepherd says: "If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me my sheep back?"
"Okay, why not," answers the young man.
"Clearly, you are a consultant," says the shepherd.
"That's correct," says the young man, "but how did you guess that?"
"No guessing required," answers the shepherd. "You turned up here although nobody called you. You want to get paid for the answer to a question I already knew, and you don't know anything about my business. Now give me back my dog!"
Thank you, any consultants out there (of which I have been one), for letting us laugh at you for the moment, and I hope you're laughing, too. I thought this was a good little anecdote to help us understand Jesus when he says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep … he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep" (John 10:11-13)
It's a joy and privilege to work with a consultant who truly cares about his or her assigned group. But there are those few who care more about the power or prestige or paycheck. That's the kind of consultant Jesus has in mind. Skilled? Of course. Knowledgeable? By all means. Devoted? Not really.
Jesus is both. So devoted that he laid down his life. For sheep. So skilled that he rose from the dead. For sheep. So knowledgeable that he calls you by name. Take heart, friend, that you are not an orphaned sheep always wondering what could have been or who you could be. You are not an abandoned or aborted sheep left to the cruelties of this world. You are owned by the good owner, Jesus.
PRAYER: How often, Shepherd Savior, have I wondered if I'm loved? How deeply, Shepherd Savior, have I convinced myself that nobody notices my hurt? How far, Shepherd Savior, have I strayed from the righteous path? Yes, you know more than I. Yet you are still here. You choose to get to know me. You love to lead me where I'm not sure I want to go. You provide for me when I think there's nothing to hope for. I am so gladly owned! Amen.