“I learned we should never beat the sheep, but must feed them if we want them to follow.”— Liu Zhenying (aka Brother Yun)
As I read through “The Heavenly Man,” the life story of Brother Yun, I am awestruck at the level of suffering and abuse this man endured for the sake of Jesus Christ. At one point in his life, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison at hard labor— just one of many imprisonment terms he would endure. While serving his sentence, he was tasked with sheep herding for a short while. Even while serving prison time for the Lord, he had a teachable spirit and sought to find the Lord speaking through whatever circumstance he endured. In this case, he learned that sheep are not driven, they are led.
At John Chapter 6, we are told that Jesus performed many miracles around Galilee, including multiplying the fishes and loaves. The next day, throngs of people sought Him out on either side of the lake. When they finally found Him, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were satisfied.”
Jesus had satisfied a deep need within the people, that nothing else had ever filled. Yes, Jesus gave testament to Who He was as Messiah through the many miracles He performed. But miracles are not food, and the people were hungry. They were spiritually starving, and you don’t meet the need of spiritually starving people with aggression. You meet their need by giving them the spiritual food that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
Because we don’t beat sheep, we feed them.
(John 10:27,28) My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
(John 6:51,57) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh… Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
(John 10:7-9) So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters in by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and will go out and will find pasture.”
**(Accompanying photo from the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board pdf, “Understanding Sheep Behavior,” released by the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan, Inc.)
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