They Would Not Love My Lamb
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the lamb with the knife in his hand. He slowly bent over to do the final task. Then he hesitated. Romano looked back at the boys, turned again to the lamb, changed his grip on the knife, set the blade to the lamb's throat, and cut. Blood and water gushed out. The boys were sickened by this sight.
Romano gave the boys a look of disgust then grabbed the pole. He carried the lamb right in front of the boys then headed back to the barn.
The father and his friend were standing in front of the barn talking as Romano returned with the lamb. The boys were close behind Romano and immediately broke into their father's conversation. They told him they just would not be able to eat the lamb now, after everything they had seen happen to it.
This angered the father, and with a scolding voice asked them, "Well, now what do you want me to do with it?"
Neither of the boys answered him. Silence prevailed for a minute. The rich man looked at the lamb carefully, and felt there was hope for life in it. He asked if he could have the lamb. The father was glad to let him take it.
Romano walked over and laid the body of the little animal in the rich man's car. The man got in his car then told the father, "Thanks, I'll be talking to you later," and drove away.
As soon as he was home, the man carried the lamb into his barn and untied the ropes that were on its legs. He then ran to his house for a sheet and some ointment. When the man returned with the items, he compassionately dabbed ointment on some of the lamb's sores.
He then ripped a long piece of cloth, folded it several times, saturated it with ointment, and placed the homemade bandage on the lamb's neck. He wrapped the lamb with the remaining piece of the sheet and placed it on some straw that was scattered along one wall.
The man then glanced around the barn and found an empty milk bucket. He turned it upside down and sat on it. He placed his elbows on his knees then put his chin in his hands and started watching the lamb.
The body lay without any movement, but the man continued to watch. Fifteen minutes passed. Then a half of an hour went by. The rich man began to feel stiff from sitting that way. He placed a hand on the lower part of his back and straightened up. It didn't make a popping sound, but it felt just as good as if it had. He sat up straight for a while.
After staring at the lamb for an entire hour, the man stood up and walked over to it. He knelt down beside the lamb and placed two fingers in front of its nostrils. He could not feel even a tiny breath.
The man lifted and laid back the sheet that had been covering the lamb. Its bare skin should have been a tender pink; but, instead, it was a deathly, bluish-gray color. There were a few patches of fuzz on the body which the shearer had missed. The rich man lovingly smoothed them down with his hand then leaned his head way over and placed it on the lamb's side. The barn was silent, for they were its only occupants. The man listened for a heartbeat, but his ears were not able to hear one.
The man raised his head up off the lamb. He placed both of his hands on one of the lamb's forelegs then bent it at the joint a couple of times. It moved freely. He thought, surely rigor mortis would have stiffened the body by now if the lamb had died. So the man continued to hope. Although there were no signs of life, at least death had not announced its arrival.
Everything was dark and quiet. The man waited for some type of a movement from the lamb, but none came. Time did not seem to be in a hurry to move the hands around the face of the man's watch. He continued to wait in the silence. His eyes ached from staring into the darkness. He shut them and saw no less than he had seen when they were open. He folded his arms then was still. Slowly, and without intention, the man fell asleep.
His sleep was not disturbed when, several hours later, the sun peeked over the eastern horizon. From the heavens the sun shot out a ray of light that penetrated the barn in one place, a quarter-sized hole where a knot had fallen out of a board. The spot of light, the size and shape of an egg, rested on the lamb's eye, illuminating it. The lamb had not made any movement of its own since it had been hanged on the pole. But now its eyelid blinked open then it shut slowly. The lamb was alive!
The eye did not open again for a while. But when it did, the eyeball also rolled back and forth. The lamb blinked quickly a few times. Then an ear twitched. It lay still with its eyes open for a while.
Since the lamb was alive it surely was breathing, as it must have been all along, but it still was so slight that it was not detectable. Had its heartbeat grown stronger? The man was not awake to check. He was not aware that the lamb had given any sign that it was alive.
With the passing of time the beam of light slowly shifted its angle until the sun no longer rested on the lamb at all. Now, a little tongue poked itself out of the lamb's mouth and then was snapped back in. One of its hind legs quivered slightly. It lay still again. Then, the lamb lifted its head some. The lamb used its forelegs to raise itself up. The linen cover slid down and exposed some of its bare, pink skin. The ointment made the bandage cling to the lamb's neck.
The lamb then took a slow, panoramic look at its surroundings. The lamb's eyes took a full sweep around before the man came into its view. The lamb looked at the man with recognition. Without turning its head back the lamb stood up and the linen dropped off.
It stood still to steady itself then walked the two steps to the sleeping man. The lamb sniffed the man's familiar scent. It did not rub against the man or lick his hand. It let him sleep.
The lamb turned and walked to the open door. It stepped through the doorway and looked at the flock of sheep on the hill. Before it went to rejoin its flock the lamb turned its head and bleated as if to tell the man, "Thanks for bringing me back home.
THE WOULDN'T LOVE MY LAMB (Study questions and clues)
This story is an allegory. The characters in it represent real people who were involved in actual events that actually did occur in the past. Can you figure out the hidden meaning behind this story?
1. Who does the lamb in this story represent? (Isaiah 53:5&7--John 1:29)
2. What was the author insinuating when he wrote that they didn't go through the gate, but took the wide path instead? (Matthew 7:13&14)
3. What is implied by the house being clean on the outside, but filthy inside? (Matthew 23:25-28)
4. Who does the mother represent?
5. Who is the father supposed to be, and what is suggested by the act of wiping his dirty hands on his work jeans? (Matthew 27:2&24)
6. Who is Romano a type of? (His name is a the clue. )
7. What is the significance of the cow's skull at the slaughter scene? (Matthew 27:33)
8. The boys divided the wool between themselves. What is this symbolic of? (Matthew 27:35)
9. The father allowed the rich man to take the lamb. Who does the rich man represent? (John 19:38)
10. What was found in Christ's tomb after He rose from the dead? (Luke 24:12)
11. The lamb went and lived among the flock forever. What group of people does that flock represent? (Psalms 79:13)
Author’s note: The lamb was not harmed while enacting the scenes from this story. The camera snapped quickly and the lamb was untied. Did it bother you to see how this lamb was treated? We should be even more upset that people treated God’s Lamb, Jesus, in an even worse way. But he suffered the punishment that WE deserve for OUR sins. Jesus paid the complete penalty that our rebellion and sinfulness requires. Although He died for everyone in the world each one of us must, individually, accept and receive his sacrifice for our sins. If you haven’t done it yet, please pause now and pray to God saying something like, “God, I believe in you. I admit that I have committed sins and done wrong acts that deserve your punishment. But I claim Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross as full payment for all of my selfish, evil thoughts and acts. Forgive all of sins. I invite your Spirit to come into my heart now and save me. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
***END***
Glenn W. Worthington is author of the ebooks, “Eagerly D
esire to Prophesy,” “God-Inspired Visions and Dreams,” “Wrestling With Depression,” “Spread The Word Began in a Silo,” and “Understanding God Better.” This author also makes daily posts on his Facebook page “You Spread The Word.” Please visit that page each day to be strengthened in your Christian walk, encouraged, and comforted. You can share the posts and help spread God’s word across our nation and around the world.
Glenn W. Worthington is also the author of the book, “Genuine Diamonds Found in Arkansas” and host of the DVD “How To Find Genuine Diamonds in Arkansas.” He posts news of diamond finds on the Facebook page “Diamonds in Arkansas,” and has a website.