Gathering Wool: The Prelude
'Baa, baa black sheep have you any wool?’
‘Yes sir, yes sir, flea bags full.’”
Adulterated nursery rhyme
Every family has its black sheep, the one the rest of the flock says will never produce anything worth wearing. After all, the wool of a black sheep has that stained look. Who would want such a garment?
In the Trexler family, my dad’s side, the sole black sheep’s name was Buzz (that is, if you discount my late grandpa, Jim Trexler); on my mom’s side, the Harrises, being the black sheep was the norm. It was somewhat unusual to find any other color in the fold.
Being the black sheep among creatures who consider themselves unblemished fosters a sense of unworthiness, of never being able to measure up. In my own case, the family odds-makers gave even-money that I would be dead or in prison by my 29th birthday. To be fair, though, I dyed my own wool. The choice of color was my own.
Years of rebellion against God and man painted my soul black as charcoal – a “soot-covered urchin running wild and unshod ...,” as the late Mark Heard wrote in "Orphans of God." Undoubtedly there were those in the flock who feared standing too close to the black sheep, perchance the darkened wool would mar their own coats.
So, the black sheep eventually wanders from the flock, searching for others who have no such fear. Scripture is full of such wandering sheep:
“I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.” (Psalm 119:176)
“We all like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)
“My people have been lost sheep …” (Jeremiah 50:6)
“For you were like sheep going astray …” (1 Peter 2:25)
At times the sheep were wandering of their own accord; other times merely lost; always in need of a shepherd.
In the “Parable of the Lost Sheep,” Jesus was surrounded by “tax collectors and sinners,” the hallmark of his ministry. As Brennan Manning puts it in “The Ragamuffin Gospel”:
“Jesus spent a disproportionate amount of time with people described in the gospels as: the poor, the blind, the lame, the lepers, the hungry, sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors, the persecuted, the downtrodden, the captives, those possessed by unclean spirits, all who labor and are heavy burdened, the rabble who know nothing of the law, the crowds, the little ones, the least, the last, and the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
“In short, Jesus hung out with ragamuffins.”
To say it another way, Jesus hung out with the black sheep.
The white sheep of the flock — the Pharisees and teachers of the law — not only stood their distance but showed their disdain for the stained.
But the shepherd of black sheep said, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not 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.’” (Luke 15:4-6)
The shepherd rejoices when he finds the black sheep; likewise, the father rejoices over the return of the prodi-gal son (Luke 15:22-24).
The world fails to understand; the white sheep of the flock cock their heads in sheepish bewilderment; and the black sheep are thankful.
Thankful that their obviously black coats have been washed clean.
Thankful that the shepherd gathers and treasures all of the wool.
To him, it’s all going to come out in the wash anyway.
‘Yes sir, yes sir, flea bags full.’”
Adulterated nursery rhyme
Every family has its black sheep, the one the rest of the flock says will never produce anything worth wearing. After all, the wool of a black sheep has that stained look. Who would want such a garment?
In the Trexler family, my dad’s side, the sole black sheep’s name was Buzz (that is, if you discount my late grandpa, Jim Trexler); on my mom’s side, the Harrises, being the black sheep was the norm. It was somewhat unusual to find any other color in the fold.
Being the black sheep among creatures who consider themselves unblemished fosters a sense of unworthiness, of never being able to measure up. In my own case, the family odds-makers gave even-money that I would be dead or in prison by my 29th birthday. To be fair, though, I dyed my own wool. The choice of color was my own.
Years of rebellion against God and man painted my soul black as charcoal – a “soot-covered urchin running wild and unshod ...,” as the late Mark Heard wrote in "Orphans of God." Undoubtedly there were those in the flock who feared standing too close to the black sheep, perchance the darkened wool would mar their own coats.
So, the black sheep eventually wanders from the flock, searching for others who have no such fear. Scripture is full of such wandering sheep:
“I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.” (Psalm 119:176)
“We all like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)
“My people have been lost sheep …” (Jeremiah 50:6)
“For you were like sheep going astray …” (1 Peter 2:25)
At times the sheep were wandering of their own accord; other times merely lost; always in need of a shepherd.
In the “Parable of the Lost Sheep,” Jesus was surrounded by “tax collectors and sinners,” the hallmark of his ministry. As Brennan Manning puts it in “The Ragamuffin Gospel”:
“Jesus spent a disproportionate amount of time with people described in the gospels as: the poor, the blind, the lame, the lepers, the hungry, sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors, the persecuted, the downtrodden, the captives, those possessed by unclean spirits, all who labor and are heavy burdened, the rabble who know nothing of the law, the crowds, the little ones, the least, the last, and the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
“In short, Jesus hung out with ragamuffins.”
To say it another way, Jesus hung out with the black sheep.
The white sheep of the flock — the Pharisees and teachers of the law — not only stood their distance but showed their disdain for the stained.
But the shepherd of black sheep said, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not 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.’” (Luke 15:4-6)
The shepherd rejoices when he finds the black sheep; likewise, the father rejoices over the return of the prodi-gal son (Luke 15:22-24).
The world fails to understand; the white sheep of the flock cock their heads in sheepish bewilderment; and the black sheep are thankful.
Thankful that their obviously black coats have been washed clean.
Thankful that the shepherd gathers and treasures all of the wool.
To him, it’s all going to come out in the wash anyway.
