The Lesson of the Spotted Sheep

In Genesis 30 Jacob was having a disagreement with his father-in-law Laban as to the division of their flocks.

Jacob proposed that he take all the sheep that were spotted and Laban could have the more valuable pure white sheep. Laban readily agreed to that.

The trouble for Laban was that God blessed Jacob and the majority of the lamb crop each year was spotted and Jacob’s flock prospered while Laban’s flock diminished.

Jesus during his three year ministry consistently chose the spotted sheep to minister to… the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the hypocritical Pharisees, the sick and the dying.

Of course the Lord’s church has been compared to a flock of sheep complete with Shepherds (Elders) who care for the sheep. The Lord’s church does its best work with spotted sheep that need shepherding.

Sometimes in a congregation we might want to “pick” our sheep. Oh here’s a nice moral family in a denomination let’s clean up their misunderstandings about the Bible and add them to our number and we can go out and eat and be friends and laugh and have a good time.

But the best work is accomplished when we can find someone filthy with sin and show them a little light at the end of the tunnel and with great patience and great spiritual stamina stick with them through thick and through thin until they become strong enough to stand on their own two feet. That my friends is a great victory over Satan and causes the angels in Heaven to rejoice.

And if there is anything to be learned from the Lesson of the Spotted Sheep it’s that God will make that flock of sheep great and prosperous to the bewilderment of folks like Laban who considered spotted sheep to be inferior.

And we’re not talking about sheep and flocks but rather people and congregations.