Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd, and I know mine and mine know Me.”
Once upon a time there was a very wealthy and very proud man named Carl. He used to love to ride his horse through his vast estate. Doing so just made him feel very proud, as he viewed his vast wealth.
One day, on his ride, the rich man came upon Hans, an old tenant farmer. Hans had just sat down to eat his lunch in the shade of a great oak tree. Hans had his head bowed in prayer. When Hans looked up he saw the rich man, Hans said, “Oh excuse me sir. I did not see you. I was giving thanks to God for my food.”
“Humph”, Snorted the rich man, as he noticed the coarse dark bread and cheese that made up the old man’s lunch. “If that were all I had to eat, I don’t think that I would feel much like giving thanks.”
“Oh,” replied Hans, “It’s quite sufficient. But it is remarkable that you should come by here today because I feel that there is something that I must tell you. You see, just this morning, I was awakened by a strange dream.”
“And what did you dream?” said Carl with an amusing smile. Hans replied, “There was beauty and peace all around. And yet I could hear a voice from out of the sky say, ‘The richest man in the valley will die tonight’.”
“Ah dreams”, cried Carl, “Such utter nonsense.” Then he turned and galloped away. Hans prayed as he watched the rich man and his horse ride off and disappear.
As Carl returned home, he said to himself, “Stubborn old farmer. Nonsense! Ridiculous!” And he vowed to forget the incident. And yet he couldn’t forget. He felt fine. At least he did till Hans described that crazy dream of his. As the day drew on, he wasn’t sure that he felt at all well. So, when evening came, he called his doctor, who was a personal friend. He asked him to come over right away for he had to speak with him. When the doctor arrived, Carl told him of the old man’s dream. Of how the richest man in the valley was going to die that very night. “Ah”, replied the doctor, “Sounds like foolishness to me. But for your own peace of mind, let me examine you.”
A little later, with the examination complete, the doctor said with a smile, “Carl, you are as strong and as healthy as that horse you ride. There is no way that you are going to die tonight.”
At that very minute, a messenger arrived at the front door of the mansion; and as he entered he cried, “Doctor, doctor, come quickly. Hans, the old farmer, has just died in his sleep.” (Author Unknown)
Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd”. To be truly wealthy is to be at peace, knowing that the Good Shepherd tends His sheep and supplies all their needs. “I know mine and mine know Me.” To know the Good Shepherd is to trust Him and to love Him.
Jesus mentions the wolves catching and scattering the sheep. May the peace of Christ give you confidence in knowing that we need not fear the wolves of life. The love of the Good Shepherd is so great that He has, in fact, laid down His life in order to protect His sheep from those wolves.
May the peace of Christ fill your heart, not just during this Season of Easter, but always.
