Are Sheep Dumb?

“They follow him because they know his voice.”

John 10:4, NLT

One of my favorite images of Jesus in the Bible is that of the Good Shepherd. It is both a metaphor and a truth about who Jesus is and how He cares for us. I can’t count how many wonderful sermons I have heard by gifted preachers about the Good Shepherd. In many of those sermons, I have also heard many gifted preachers and theologians mention how dumb sheep are. After all, why else do we call creatures “dumb animals?” It turns out that this phrase relates more to the fact that animals don’t speak than to label them as stupid.

And so, it is worth noticing that in all of John 10, when Jesus describes the Good Shepherd and the sheep, He never disparages the sheep in that way. He says, “The sheep recognize [the shepherd’s] voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. … they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” (John 10:3-5)

They follow the voice of the one that knows them (John 10:14), gives them a rich and satisfying life (v. 10), and even lays down His life for their sake (v. 15). They are not willing to be led and handled by just anyone, but only their own shepherd who takes good care of them.

If you ask me, that doesn't sound like a stupid choice at all. In fact, it sounds incredibly wise! It’s true that in Isaiah and Jeremiah, sometimes sheep are described as going astray (Isaiah 53:6, Jeremiah 50:6), but I think this has more to do with our pride, or maybe our ability to get distracted by “what looks good” in the moment, than with our IQ level.

Let’s listen for our Good Shepherd’s voice today. The key to hearing God’s voice is: spending time in Scripture, spending time with Godly people and spending time in quietude. Check for barriers to hearing God’s voice: if we love our own voice more, if we love the voice of the world more or if we need to either extend forgiveness or need to ask for it ourselves. 

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus, help us to know and love Your voice as our Good Shepherd. Thank You for laying down Your life to give us abundant life. Help us to trust You and listen for Your voice. By the help of Your Holy Spirit, may we come to discern your voice from our own fear and pride and from the lies of the world and powers (Ephesians 6:12). Amen.