SHREK THE SHEEP

Shrek the New Zealand sheep was lost for six years. Its owner said it hated being shorn and was able to hide in caves on the ranch. But Shrek had a problem. It could not shed its wool. When found, Shrek had six years growth and looked like a huge dirty snowball with tiny feet and a barely visible nose. When shorn, its wool weighed sixty pounds, enough to make twenty suits. If it hadn't been found, its wool would just have kept growing and growing.

Unlike their wild cousins, domestic sheep have been bred not shed their coats so the wool can be used for clothing. It is doubtful domestic sheep can keep all their wool and live an normal life. Too much wool can cause overheating, and its weight causes mobility problems. If an unshorn sheep of many years falls down, it might not be able to get back up. A sheep's face can be covered with so much wool it can't see or even eat.

When shorn, Shrek was thin but weak. Its owner stated it died at the age of sixteen, a normal sheep life. But without its wool being removed regularly, it would have died sooner. The weight of wool can be deadly for a sheep. 

So also, the weight of sin can be deadly for us people. We often carry a load of sin that weighs us down. Sins of anger, resentment and regret, sins we have done and those we have left undone, all can combine to make life difficult. Without its removal, sin is truly deadly. The weight of unforgiven sin can crush us eternally.

Almighty God our Heavenly Father knew this, so He sent His only son Jesus to take our sins upon Himself. He went to the cross so that we might not be crushed by the weight of our sin. Jesus is truly our Savior, who has removed the weight of our sins. "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) This is the message of the season of Lent.

Think what you'd feel like carrying an extra sixty pounds on your back, every day and every night, its weight only increasing and never becoming lighter. Even the strongest of people would be crushed under its weight. People need Jesus and need to trust in Him as their saving Lord. 

Give thanks to God you don't have to live under all that unnecessary weight like Shrek.