Shepherds and sheep 9

Sheep, goats, and their shepherds are one of the most familiar images in the Bible and the land of the Bible. From Abraham’s days as a wandering shepherd to David singing that the Lord was his shepherd, all of Israel knew the basics of sheep, goats, and their herders. Jesus called himself the “Good Shepherd,” bringing about the ire of his enemies. They knew that Jesus was tapping into the prophetic tradition of chastising the “bad shepherds” in governmental and religious leadership (Ezekiel 34 in particular) of God’s people. Jesus also used the differences between sheep and goats in some of his most memorable parables, including the separation of sheep and goats on the Day of Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).