Do shepherds break the leg of a wayward lamb to keep it close?

[tonychanyt]

Some pastors teach that, but no. Deliberately breaking a lamb's leg will reduce mobility and slow the whole herd down. There is an additional risk of infection and death. An injured lamb would be vulnerable to predators. The practice does not make good sense logistically and economically.

 

[PloverWing]

I'd forgotten that story. I have indeed heard it in sermons from years ago, but now that I think about it as an adult, it's clearly nuts.

Makes me wonder about the preachers who included this and other urban legends in their sermons. What else were they intellectually careless about?

 

[Gidgx]

Believe it or not this whole thing was based on a book from pastor who used to be a shepherd. I had read the book back in the early 2000's. Apparently he was in Africa and immigrated to the US and started a church. Unfortunately I can't remember his name or the name of his church of all things.

 

[PloverWing]

Believe it or not this whole thing was based on a book from pastor who used to be a shepherd. I had read the book back in the early 2000's. Apparently he was in Africa and immigrated to the US and started a church. Unfortunately I can't remember his name or the name of his church of all things.

It would be great if you could remember the name of the book at some point.

The best lead I've been able to find for the origin of the story is this:

The earliest record of it I could find [and seemingly the origin] was in the 1955 book “What Jesus Said” , written by Robert Boyd Munger. The illustration was popularized in 1979 when Paul Lee Tan included it in his book for pastors Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations.

( Source: Dustin Germain, The Shepherd Breaking His Sheep’s Legs- Myths That'll Preach )

but I don't have access to either book at the moment, so I can't vouch for this version of the origin story. Is Munger's book the one you have in mind, by any chance?

 

[Gidgx]

Sorry can't help out there with the name of the book, nor does the name of the person ring a bell.. my only impression I have was the church he was a pastor at was in the southern half of the US. Sorry I'm canadian and don't know much about geographical knowledge of the US. Other than layover at Houston Texas airport.which was limited.