The Tiger and the Lamb

In a collection of Negro folk tales, William J. Faulkner related the story of a disobedient lamb. A mother sheep had warned her little ones, “Do not go near the river, for a bad tiger lives there, and he will kill and eat you.” One lamb kept toying with the thought that the grass near the river seemed to be greener than elsewhere and that his mother must be mistaken about a tiger being there. Finally, his curiosity and desire for greener grass led him near the river bank. After grazing for some while on the luscious grass, he scampered down to the water for a drink.

Suddenly he heard a gruff voice saying, “What are you doing drinking from my river and muddying my water?” The disobedient lamb began excusing himself, but the tiger came closer saying, “I’m going to kill and eat you.” As the tiger sprang toward the helpless lamb, the mother sheep ran between them, taking the death dealing blows of claws and fangs in her own body. Thus, the disobedient lamb was spared and scampered up the river bank to safety.

It was Christ’s willingness to lay down his life that has brought us salvation and life.

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