Naturally, the people turned out in droves. The Scripture lessons for Sunday have a strange mix of metaphors referring to Jesus. Many Christians rationally resist the image of being sheep. I once heard about some sheep in Colorado that walked right up to a bear that had killed one of their number and was eating it. They ran off at first, when he burst out of the woods at them, but after the kill they went back to watch and then lazily grazed all around him while he feasted.
People love to hear about green pastures, still waters and a full cup of soothing oil.
Many of the same people who resist being prodded or crooked or having aspersions cast on their intelligence are more than satisfied to assume the role of sheep in their daily lives. Nobody ever said that a life of eat, drink, sleep, procreate and grow hair is all bad. I love metaphors, similes and illustrations because something simple can help us see or understand something profound. Sometimes, however, they can be too simple or tell only half of the truth. When one of the sheep is lost, according to another parable, the shepherd puts the other ninety-nine into the sheepfold in order to go and find the one that is lost.