THE GOOD GOATHERD
In an Indian village, a good
goatherd had a goat farm with over a hundred goats. He loved them and they
adored him. They could recognise his call and respond by running to him and
surrounding him. He used to feed them with love and care. When any goat had an
injury, he used to nurse it with compassion.
One day he had to go to the town to
buy essential articles for the farm. He fed the goats with affection, locked
the gate of the farm, and left for the town.
When he returned, he was shocked to find the door of the farm lying opened.
Rushing into the farm, he found that all the goats were missing. Obviously,
some thief had sneaked into the farm and stolen his dear goats. He ran out of
the farm house and asked the villagers about the lost goats. No one could help
him. They rushed through the road connecting the village to the town and
enquired everywhere about the missing goats.
One person told that he had seen a truck full
of goats proceeding from the village towards the town. They informed the police
and rushed to the town. They found the truck full of goats parked near a hotel.
The driver and his assistants were having their dinner in the hotel. They asked
the driver, but he claimed that the goats were his own. By that time, the
police also arrived there. The police questioned the driver but he was firm in
his stand. The driver asked the owner of the lost sheep whether he had any
evidence to prove that the goats in the truck belonged to him.
The goatherd boldly told the
driver and the police, “My goats can recognise me and my voice. I shall call
them and if they respond by running to me, you can be sure that the goats are
mine. Everyone agreed. They moved towards the truck. The police asked the
driver to open the bars surrounding the truck. The goatherd called his flock in
a loud and loving tone. Suddenly, all the goats jumped out of the truck and ran
to him. They surrounded him and he patted them with affection. The police
arrested the thieves and let the loving goatherd go to his farm with the
recovered flock of goats. The villagers celebrated the victory and returned to
their village jubilantly.
The Holy Bible describes
Jesus as the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep - the whole humanity.
Jesus
said, “I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep” {John 10:
11}. “I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them” {John
10: 14, 15}. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I
give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away
from me” {John 10: 27, 28}.
…………………………………………………………………
©
By: Prof. Dr. Babu Philip, Former Professor, Cochin University
of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala,
India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St.
Dominic's College, Kanjirappally, Leo. S. John and Neil
John, Alfeen Public School, Kanjirappally, Kerala, India.
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