Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable: 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.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
It is well-known in Christian circles that before the shepherd placed the lamb on his shoulders, he broke its leg, so it could not run away again. By the time the leg has healed the lamb has learned to stay near the shepherd. This was common practice in Jesus’ day, and so is implied in this and other shepherding texts. Because the shepherd uses this cruel-to-be-kind tactic, we can expect that there will be times when Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will do the same to us. And we, as shepherds of our children, will need to use corporal punishment to teach them not to stray.
However, the whole ‘broken leg’ story is untrue. No one as found any historical evidence to support it. According to the sheep experts at Sheep 101,
There is no such story in the Bible. To do so would be cruel and impractical.
It is in essence a Christian urban legend. The earliest source appears to be a sermon of Brother William Marrion Branham, called ‘The Good Shepherd Of The Sheep’, delivered on Friday, 8th March 1957.
“I guess you’ve heard the story of the shepherd that broke his sheep’s leg one time. Many little stories has been told about it. And was asked this shepherd, “Did the sheep fall off of a mountain and do this?”
He said, “No.”
Said, “What happened?”
He said, “I broke its leg.”
Said, “Why did you break its leg? Are you a cruel shepherd?”
He said, “No, I love the sheep. But the sheep got to running away from me. And he kept straying out to itself. And I know the nature of sheep. And I know if they stray too far away, the wolf will get them. So I had to break the sheep’s leg to keep it with me, to draw it to my bosom, to give it a little special food. And I’ll be so kind to it, that when its leg gets well, it’ll never leave me any more.”
Brother Branham may have heard the story elsewhere or he may have made it up himself. Either way, there is no reason to believe the story is true.
Breaking a lamb’s leg is a dangerous and potentially fatal thing to do. If the sheep lives but ends up lame, it becomes a liability to the shepherd, slowing down the rest of the flock. He might as well just kill it and be done with it! The sheep are the shepherd’s livelihood, he will treat them with the same care you would expect a fine china dealer to show to his wares. Also, far from endearing the sheep to the shepherd, harming it may well have the opposite effect. Again, from Sheep 101:
It is known that animals can instantly recognize the voice of a familiar trusted person. Sheep have excellent memories for faces. They remember their handler. They also remember people who inflict abuse upon them. (emphasis added)
But, even if a shepherd did try this tactic once in desperation, or even if it were common amongst a group of shepherds, that would not mean that we should follow their example. That would be like saying: ‘God calls himself our Father. Many fathers abandon their children, so I can expect God to abandon me, and I should do the same to my own kids.’ Yes, God gives us these metaphors to help us understand him better, but we cannot take the metaphors beyond what the Bible actually says. Instead of painting God in human terms, we need to ‘be holy as he is holy.’
So what does the Bible actually say about sheep and shepherds?
Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. Ps 28:9
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteouness for is name’s sake… I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Ps 23:1-4
He tends his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in is arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Is 40:11I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. Ez 34:16
Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago. Mic 7:14
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. Jn 10:11,14-15
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Heb 13:20-21
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Rev 7:17
Perhaps the worst thing about the ‘broken leg’ story is the twisted image it gives us of God. The parable of the Lost Sheep, which a quoted in the beginning, is about God’s unconditional love and forgiveness, told in response to the mutterings of the Pharisees. Somehow it becomes a story about punishment. How sad. As the above passages show, God’s shepherding is about a peaceful relationship of love and trust, based on his gentleness. Let us seek to shepherd our children gently and wisely, as our Father leads and guides us.
barefootbetsy
greenegem
lucy1903
MorningGloryGirl
Claire
I just shared this on my Facebook status. Thanks to you for an excellent article about a dangerous myth!!
You’re welcome. I’m glad you found it useful
I am sick and tired of this story and others used to justify hurting kids in the name of God. If you want to spank you child fine. But at least have the integrity to own your decision. Stop hiding behind God told me to do it to shut down discussion. I don’t spank and never will. But you know what it is my choice to do so. I own it and will discuss it without dragging the Almighty into it.
The sad thing, Rita, is that there are people out there who really feel terrible about spanking their kids, and wish they didn’t have to, but they think they must, because they have been taught that is what God says. That is one reason greenegem started this blog – to give us a chance to refute such questionable logic and help people see that there is a better (and more Godly) way.
I, too, feel frustrated when people (including myself) seem unable to make full use our God-given brains and take responsibility for our decisions. I am even more inclined to be angry at the teachers who fail to check their facts and perpetuate myths like this one, than the people who trustingly follow their teachings.
I agree that people are afraid to go against what they are taught. I was terrified at first. But, the scriptures are full of commandments to test the teachings we hear and not to blindly follow them. The fact is, the only reason that we as Christians spank is because it is wrapped up in some verses. If an unbeliever advocated this, we would be ready to go to war on the behalf of those children. We would call it abuse. And rightly so. But, no because someone who stands in the pulpit says do it, then it is what God wants. Maybe my comment was a little harsh, but the fact is we as Christians have been allowing God’s word to be twisted to justify the hurting of kids.I am really angry with the Church and how it has not only allowed it has advocated the hurting of kids in God’s name. Off my soapbox now.
Concerning disciplining you children.
I grew up being spanked and was very grateful for this that my parent because they cared kept me always from the things that would harm me.
I presumed I would discipline my children the same until my very soon bride to be challenged me on this. I now recognize that spanking is not nessisary but in some situations it might be.
We have discussed this and have come to he conclusion that each child is unique and special in their own way. Some children may only need a stern voice or time out while in other times when the child realizes that this deters them from going to bed an immediate discipline is nessisary. I have seen this in my niece. And the after affects are not what you might expect. But my niece was within 20 seconds of the spanking happy and listening. She knew she was wrong (in this circumstance) and koodos to my brother who had the heart to care for her.
My point again is there is no cut and dry answer to disciplining children. Each child is different and according to circumstances you need to discipline accordingly.
You need to get to know your children to know what they need.
David (or John?), first, congratulations on your upcoming marriage
. It sounds like you have come a long way in your thinking about discipline 
. You are absolutely right that we need to know our children well to discipline them effectively, and we will need different tools for each child and age/stage. May I, as a reformed (well, reforming) spanking/punitive parent, gently suggest that you and your bride-to-be take the opportunity now to start filling your toolbox with positive discipline tools?
Don’t knock it until you’ve read some of the GD Success Stories thread 
)
A great place to start is the public forums and articles at http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com , especially the Gentle Discipline FAQ forum, where you will also find a great list of books.
Who knows? You may one day be amazed to realise that you have an adult child who you haven’t found the need to punish (whether with spanking or time out or removal of privileges etc) at all! (I know, that sounds like the ravings of a lunatic
Thabks for sharing your thoughts, and may God bless you and your future wife
cheers
Claire
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Oh my goodness, I could puke.
This came from Branham? I think that depending on your religious paradigm, you could argue that “breaking a lamb’s legs” came from the pit of hell. Branham was supposedly a Pentecostal, but he got his “words of knowledge” from an entity who would appear to him on stage. The big Kansas City Prophets group who became his modern day “spiritual descendents” and “caught the mantle of his anointing” (Paul Cain, Bob Jones the charismatic, Rick Joiner, etc.) have carried on his traditions and do the same thing. They talk to an entity that they call “Emma.”
It figures that this rot came from him. He was miserable. Sierra on NoLongerQuivering.com has written about growing up under his teachings
Goodness, I’d heard some icky stuff about him (particularly his ideas about women), but that’s even worse. Thanks for the info, Cindy.
Wow, that makes that story even creepier, Cindy.
That’s horrible! I’ve never heard anyone tell that story before. I hope I never meet anybody who does – I can’t imagine anyone who would believe a story like that, and believe that it showed a good example, could possibly behave as an overall decent human being! >_< Just… just no! No! Bad storytellers!
You are fortunate to have missed it for so long… I, too, hope I will never hear it again
Okay – as i read through here, i cannot help but to be filled with shame. Today is the FIRST TIME i have ever read that this was not true. I am filled with HOPE. I was raised to believe this – why would i have doubted it? Just as the Bible is full of stories of God’s love, there are also stories of consequences for our actions when we don’t follow God. Why would i have questioned what was taught to me as a child? Please be careful with your comments of horror – you never know who’s life you may be stepping on.
Carey, I, too, believed in this story my whole life. As you say, why would I question it? Which is why I wrote the article when I discovered I had been deceived. Instead of feeling ashamed, let’s give thanks to God that he has shown us his truth
Thanks so much for this post! I heard that story multiple times during my childhood, and then I always assumed it was someone taking a metaphor WAY too far. (Since I’m sure most shepherds EAT their sheep sometimes
) Thank you for pointing out that this is no where to be found in scripture!
I never thought of that! So glad our Shepherd doesn’t eat us – or sell us at the market!
Claire,
Thank you sooooo very much for this article! Thanks be to God that He is not really cruel like that!
Back in November 2009, I was going through a rough patch in life that became full-blown major depression. I spoke to an off-duty police officer who told me, ‘Like a lamb, God broke my leg so I would not run away from Him anymore.’ He told me almost the same story Branham gave as you mention.
I swallowed that, and ever since, really struggled in my relationship with the Lord. Just now, after reading today’s daily devotional from Joseph Prince and then your article, I know I am on my way to a deeper relationship with the Lord!!!
Now that I know the Truth (John 8:32), that notion of a trusted Shepherd breaking the leg truly is evil–anything that presents God as anything but who He truly is (blasphemy) comes from Satan; nowhere else.
Wow, Michael, I’m so glad God is revealing the truth about himself to you. And what a privilege to have been part of that process :’-) How great is our God. I agree that this teaching is evil and blasphemous. It’s true that he is with us in the rough times, weeping with us when we are depressed… But *not* breaking us further… He was broken *for* us, and one day he will heal the whole world.
“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Cor 13:12 I pray God will continue to reveal his true nature to you more and more. Will you pray the same for me? Thanks
Yeah, Branham is the same guy who taught that the serpent beguiling Eve was a euphemistic way to say he actually had sex with her, and so women are sexually evil at the core. Blargh.
Psalm 51:8
Hi Andy
. Would you mind explaining exactly what you think that verse means in this context? What damage did God do to David? In what sense did God ‘break his leg’?
Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. I’ve been away.
I gather you feel this verse, which says ‘you have broken me’, is relevant to this discussion. I have a lot of thoughts about that, but in view of your laconic comment, I don’t want to go down too many rabbit trails
Thanks
Claire
My intent was simply to demonstrate that God has provided very harsh chastening to his choice servants. While there is much debate as to the thought of an historical record of a shepherd breaking a sheep’s leg, and there is some record of that in older documents, the overall concensus of those replying to the post is that God would never do such a thing. A biblical reality is that in what ever sence David meant it, it must be recieved as a severe chastening. To take it to a more direct approach, Jesus Christ suffered greatly on the cross bearing the judgment of God. Those who reject the Gift of God will suffer the pains of hell forever. Following the principle of Colossians 2:6, we understand that we are to walk a life of faith in Christ just as we entered by faith into salvation. When the believer refuses this command, they suffer the wages of sin which is death. (Romans 6:23) Hebrews 12 is a reality, and yes God performs severe judgment against ungodliness in the life of the believer (1Corinthians 11:27-30).
Thank you for expanding, Andy.
I think there is some confusion here, due no doubt to the briefness necessary in internet posts. Several different questions seem to be overlapping: a) Does God discipline those He loves? b) If so, does he rebuke us as part of that discipline? c) if so, does He also punish us? d) if so, can his chastening or rebuke or punishment reasonably be described or illustrated in terms of a shepherd who breaks his sheep’s leg to teach it not to stray?
And, without going over the ground of a b and c (since they are not the subject of this post) my answer to d is ‘Absolutely not’. I agree with those above who say He would never do such a thing. Why? Because it is abusive and God is not abusive, God is love. If a shepherd or sheep farmer were to break a sheep’s leg in order to keep it nearby as it healed to endear it to him (even if that worked with sheep, which I haven’t yet seen any evidence for, besides making it pretty near impossible for the shepherd to get on with the job of protecting the rest of the flock) – he would be risking severe fines and possibly jail for cruelty to animals. Because that is cruelty. It is abuse.
If God went about breaking us so he could heal us to endear himself to us, that would be deliberately inducing Stockholm Syndrome, or ‘traumatic bonding’ (“strong emotional ties that develop between two persons where one person intermittently harasses, beats, threatens, abuses, or intimidates the other.” see this wikipedia article) which is abusive. God is not abusive. God is love. If he can’t woo and discipline us in a healthy way, that grows true healthy love and trust for Him in us, but instead relies on abusive techniques to manufacture unhealthy traumatic bonding, then I want no part of him. But he doesn’t do that. He says ‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.’ 1 Jn 4:18
So let’s look at Ps 51. We know the story behind this song of repentance. Not only did David sin extravagantly, but he needed God to send the prophet Nathan to convict him of his guilt. We can also see the overall theme of the poem – David’s immense guilt, and his desire to be washed clean. So did God literally break him, as implied by verse 8? No. The brokenness to which David is referring, from which he wants healing, is his guilt and sinfulness – that is, he did it to himself. He *feels* as if God broke him, because God expossed his wound, and it hurts. David seems to have been quite comfortable until Nathan came along, then suddenly the magnitude of his sin becomes obvious to him, and it *hurts*. And he know the only one who can heal and cleanse him is God, and he knows that God cares more about his repentant heart than perfect theology (like being accused of causing damage that was really David’s fault).
So the better metaphor here, I think, would be of a shepherd who goes after his wilful, lost sheep, finds that the sheep’s wilfulness has led it to fall down a cliff and break its own leg, and, having compassion on his sheep, he sets the broken leg. The sheep finds the operation painful, but knows that it was necessary for true healing, and is grateful as it is carried home to the fold to heal.
(Now, later in the story, David’s son died, which does look somewhat punitive, at least at first glance. There are less–punitive explanations, I’m not entirely convinced by them. In any case, that’s not the brokenness/healing David is referring to here in Ps 51, and in fact God didn’t heal the baby, so that part of the story doesn’t fit the ‘break and heal the lamb’ motif either).
Thank God He has not revealed himself in Scripture as an abusive Father, but as a Good Shepherd!
I will also briefly respond to the other verses you mention:
‘The wages of sin is death’ is a statement addressed to non-Christians. That doesn’t mean I don’t take seriously the encouragement to live in Christ of passages like Col 2, but part of that is trusting in his faithfulness on my behalf. If I’m not living in Christ, the wages of that sin is death, but by definition, if I’m a believer, I’m living in Christ, so the wages of sin has been paid to Christ in his death, and in him I am an inheritor of the gift of God, ‘eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’.
Heb 12 is a reality – a wonderful encouragement reminding us of God’s ability to redeem even unjust suffering, as he did for the great cloud of witnesses (v1) by growing us through it, ‘so that [we] will not grow weary and lose heart’ (v3).
As for 1 Cor 11, that does, I admit, sound like punishment for the church. I see natural consequences, you see punishment. We can expect sickness and death as part of living in this world – if we avoid it, that is because of God’s protection – like the sheep who didn’t fall down a cliff because they stayed near the shepherd – and even then, he doesn’t always keep us from all evil – but certainly I don’t believe that God *brings* those things on us, adds them *on top of* the normal run of life. If you do, we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
Hi Claire,
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. (Proverbs 1:7) This truth sets forth the nature of all things related to the wisdom of God. The proverb then declares that fools despise wisdom and instruction. You have written a post and a reply to me on the basis that God is Love. This is true, however, God’s love is not his primary characteristic! When you elevate His love in your life above its proper place then you miss the full effect of it. The result is an improper view of God and his word. An example of this is your improper interpretation of Romans 6:23. This verse is written to believers!
Here is the reality, God’s Holiness is his primary attribute. Read the letter of 1st John. Before he declares that God is love, he declares that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. God’s love demonstrated to us is his own answer to his holiness. The lost man will pay for his own sin by suffering eternal punishment in hell because God’s holiness, demands it! God’s love is how he answered man’s need for being reconciled. The saved man has a responsibility to walk in holiness before his holy Father. Don’t go on in being deceived and deceiving others that God is not to be feared. And before you respond (if you do) please be honest enough to search out the fear of God as it is revealed in the scriptures. You will find that it is a major doctrine of the Bible.
Well, I don’t think abusive behaviour is consistent with God’s holiness, either, do you? Surely if we truly fear the Lord we will stand together against the likes of Branham when they claim God would do such unholy things?
It does not matter what anyone thinks, it matters what God says. Have you ever read the book of Lamentations? I encourage you to read chapter three and see the balance of the two aspects of God’s work in the life of his people. Lam 3:4 “he hath broken my bones” (KJV) Lam 3:24 “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
The experience of the believer with the LORD is in direct relationship to the walk that the believer has with the LORD.
Heb 12:5-11 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
“It does not matter what anyone thinks, it matters what God says” That would be the point of my post, really – God has never said he breaks his lambs’ legs. So Branham has misrepresented him.
Yes, I’ve read Lamentations (I’ve read the whole Bible, actually), but not for some time. I’m working my way through The Source NT at the moment (slowly – I have three young children
), but after that I think I’ll take your advice and re-read Laments. It’s poetry, though, so I won’t be using it as the basis for theology. The writers of the laments would be astounded if I did. That’s not what they wrote them for. Besides, God didn’t break their bones, their captors did. Natural consequences of stepping outside of God’s protection again – not God placing *extra* affliction on them.
As I pointed out earlier, the discipline being described in Heb 12 is suffering for doing right – ie persecution – not punishment for wrongdoing. The only way to avoid this conclusion is to start your quote from verse 5 instead of earlier in the passage, like v1 or v4 or ch11. It also helps if you use the KJV, because ‘chasten’ sounds more punitive to modern ears (but actually that is not its only meaning) and of course ‘scourge’. Also those of us who have experienced common Western parenting in which discipline = punishment, when we read ‘our fathers disciplined us as they thought best…’ we immediately think punishment, because that’s what we received. So check out this great post on what the Greek word being used here actually meant to the people who were readig it when it was written – people who had experienced or watched paedeia.
Last month I referred to a practice I had seen referenced in several commentaries concerning shepherds breaking the legs of their sheep in order to keep them from wandering off.
When I was challenged to prove that this practice actually takes place, I spent a good deal of time looking for evidence of such on the internet. While I found many references to such a practice none of these appeared to be from sheepherders. (or appeared to be credible)
So, I send a letter to Sheep Magizine. ( http://www.sheepmagazine.com/ )
This is their reply:
Hello John,
You asked in an August 2, 2006 message to Sheep Magazine if it was true whether shepherds sometimes break a lamb’s leg to prevent it from wandering off.
It is not true that any shepherds break a lamb’s leg on purpose.
What they sometimes do in certain sheep-raising nations is to “brake” a leg. This means they attach a clog or weight to the animal’s leg, which keeps certain “rogue” sheep from getting too far from the shepherd until they learn their names, and not to be afraid of the shepherd.
Rogue sheep are those that won’t stay with the flock–important to their safety. A single sheep that constantly moves out and away from the others is the certain target of predators, and often is at risk of wandering out of sight (over a hill, into the brush, etc.) in terrain where the shepherd is unable to count the sheep properly. Then the sheep would be surely lost.
Each shepherd looks after from about 1200 to 3000 sheep. When they’re constantly moving, such large numbers are impossible to count with precision.
To keep track of such large numbers of sheep, they must be corralled, and then “passed under the rod,” which means the shepherd has them in a narrow chute that enables each sheep to be counted one by one, and even marked with paint, charcoal, etc., for further work if necessary.
The leg brake is a temporary measure; a lamb with a braked leg (it’s not a “broken” leg!) is still easy pickings for predators at night, because it can’t run as fast as the flock when under attack, and shepherd usually can’t see predators in the dark.
Yours,
Nathan Griffith, editor
Sheep! Magazine
I have to yield to the authority on such things.
So the truth is this:
Good Shepherds do not “break” the leg of a rogue sheep.
They do however “brake” the leg of a rogue sheep in order to keep it from wandering off.
John O.
Thank you so much for this useful information, John! And kudos for the humility to accept correction
(I’ll go and read your other comment, now)