.
I was once a Sheep
Who got lost in the jungle,
Cajoled away by the flattery of the beast,
Without harkening to the warning of the bell jingled.
.
The Herdsman was busy blowing his horn
To win back all Sheep who were lost,
In that deaf ear the warning cinch to sound,
Giving myself for the perpetrator to crush.
. Shepherd ran from pillar to pole,
In search of the lost Sheep that was away,
The Sheep which roamed about ignoring the road,
Keeping itself purposely at bay.
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The ship was sailed,
To the sea and to the lake.
Paddle stick drowned and swimmed,
In search of the prodigal Sheep,
.
Wandering about enjoying the guilty pleasure,
Making its wearer hot under the collar,
Forgetting he was a Fish brought out of water,
Soon curiosity will kill his cruel Cat.
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The Shepherd kept crying over the spilt milk,
Sheep busy barking up the wrong tree.
His conceit the Jungle King craved to seduce,
Not knowing there awaited him a danger in disguise.
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The Lion roared,
In wake of his hungry belly,
Persuaded the Sheep to the tower,
To make the best of friends of him.
.
Even if it takes two to tango,
Exclude the Lion and the Sheep.
My heart fell for its deceit,
Grinding its molar teeth on my bone.
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The Shepherd was ready for the ransom,
To salvage the lost sheep from sanction,
Sheep had added to the injury an insult,
Taking its liberty with a grain of salt.
In Luke 15 the "tax collectors and sinners" gathered to hear Jesus, but the orthodox Pharisees and "the teachers of the law" complained, muttering, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Jesus responded to the criticism with three related parables:
ReplyDelete"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins [in Greek, ten "drachmas," or about 10 days' wages] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, "Father, give me my share of the estate." So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.' So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
--New International Version