The Other, Other Sheep

And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have other sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister.  For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them.  But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore I go to show myself unto them.

Book of Mormon   3 Nephi 16:1-3

The Good Shepherd loves His sheep

Ministering to His flocks, each and every one

His covenants for them to ponder and keep

Judging with equity when mortality is done

His flock in Jerusalem we know quite well

And of His sheep in America we have a record

But of His other, other sheep we have little to tell

Only a passing reference, spoken by the Lord

Declaring that they too will hear his voice

That there may be one Shepherd and one fold

That all may receive His gospel and rejoice

As His kingdom comes forth in glory to behold

Who are these other, other sheep

Who have heard the Shepherd’s voice

Who, like us, have covenants to keep

Who, like us, at His coming, will rejoice

We know not who or where they are

But as they hear the Shepherd’s call

They’ll come from both near and far

Into His fold, one Shepherd for all

We await the day when His flocks are united

A day when all saints are gathered as one

As the scriptures and Prophets have recited

A day of gathering all things under The Son

As we seek out and minister to our spiritual kin

Let us be as Jesus – His love generous and deep

Serving as ministers of solace to our fellow men

Agents of the Covenant to His other, other sheep

 Larry Doyle Crenshaw

The Other, Other Sheep

By Larry Doyle Crenshaw

MeditationsInLight.Blogspot.com

As we seek out and minister to our spiritual kin

Let us be as Jesus – His love generous and deep

Serving as ministers of solace to our fellow men

Agents of the Covenant to His other, other sheep

We were recently reminded of the potent power of symbolism while comparing themes of the early 1^st century Christian church, to that of the 3^rd century church, and then later to that of the symbols of the protestant reformation churches.  For example, the cross or crucifix only became an entrenched symbol of Christianity in the 3^rd century under Constantine.  Later, in the 16^th century and beyond, the protestant reformers were split on the use of religious symbols with the Lutherans a little more accepting of art adorning their chapels, while other reformers tore down or painted over such works.

That leaves us with the question, what of the early Christians – those who lived within a 100 years of the Savior’s death and resurrection?  What was the central theme or symbol of their faith?  It was only about 150 years ago that the answer was revealed with the discovery of the catacombs – the ancient burial places of many of the early Christians.  There on the walls were painted or etched throughout, three themes – “the Good Shepherd,” “the Fish,” and “the Vine.”

As described by one of the great Christian historians of the 19^th century, Dr. Phillip Schaff, “Roman Catholic cemeteries are easily recognized by crosses, crucifixes, and reference to purgatory and prayers for the dead; Protestant cemeteries by the frequency of Scripture passages in the epitaphs, and the expressions of hope and joy in prospect of the immediate transition of the pious dead to the presence of Christ. The catacombs have a character of their own, which distinguishes them from Roman Catholic as well as Protestant cemeteries.  Their most characteristic symbols and pictures are the Good Shepherd, the Fish, and the Vine. These symbols almost wholly disappeared after the fourth century, but to the mind of the early Christians they vividly expressed, in childlike simplicity, what is essential to Christians of all creeds, the idea of Christ and his salvation, as the only comfort in life and in death.

The Shepherd … suggested the recovery of the lost sheep, the tender care and protection, the green pasture and fresh fountain, the sacrifice of life: in a word, the whole picture of a Saviour …. The Fish expressed the same idea of salvation, under a different form, and (associating) the fish with daily food and the baptismal water of regeneration. The Vine again sets forth the vital union of the believer with Christ and the vital communion of all believers among themselves.” - History of the Christian Church, Schaff, (7 vols., 1858–1890).

One cannot read the Bible or other scriptural works without being impressed by the imagery of the Good Shepherd and His sheep.  From the Shepherd of the 23^rd Psalms to Isaiah 53’s “lamb to the slaughter,” to “the marriage of the lamb,” in Revelations 19 we are taught about the attributes of Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer through the imagery of sheep, lambs, and Shepherds.

Our meditational verse focuses on one such metaphor in John 10:16, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”  Theologians have wrestled with this verse for ages – most believing that the “other sheep” were the gentiles, but other scholars have suggested otherwise, and generally concluded it to be one of the lesser important mysteries.

One ancient scriptural text says that the inhabitants of the new world – descendants of Israel - are the “other sheep.”  Whether one believes this scriptural account or not, it does present an interesting question. For, in the text Jesus visits these people following His crucifixion and tells them that they are His other sheep, and then He says that He has “other sheep” not in Jerusalem nor any other people that He spoke to during His mortal ministry - saying that they too, “shall hear my voice and be numbered among my sheep….”  These are His “other, other sheep” who are or were among us.

From a salvational point of view, most of us can believe that the Lord loves all of His sheep in all ages and in all places, and, in one way or another, sees to it that they hear his voice and have an opportunity to be of His fold.  There is much yet to be learned about all of the Lord’s other, other sheep –

We know not who or where they are

But as they hear the Shepherd’s call

They’ll come from both near and far

Into His fold, one Shepherd for all

Larry Doyle Crenshaw