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The Dogs and the Cats is based on Matthew 25: 31-46.
The Sheep and the Goats
One sign a parable might need retelling is that its original allusions are now flying right over everyone’s head. It’s not that we don’t understand the basics of the parable. But why sheep? Why goats?
To people in the modern West, there’s nothing obviously good about sheep. There’s also nothing bad about goats. If anything, people use ‘sheep’ or ‘sheeple’ as an insult and admire the goat for its independent nature.
Symbolism
In the Bible, the House of Israel is often linked with ‘sheep’. But being scattered ‘like sheep without a shepherd‘ was not a compliment. Domesticated sheep without a shepherd are in trouble. In Matthew 9:36, Matthew describes Jesus as feeling sorry for the crowds because they are ‘like sheep without a shepherd’.
Goats were and are ‘clean’ animals, suitable both to eat and to use at the Temple as a sacrifice. However, goats may have been associated with ‘scapegoats’ – the symbolic animal carrying the sins of people. A scapegoat would be selected each year, then sent off into the wilderness, carrying the people’s sins with it.
So there’s a possible ‘symbolic’ reason that Jesus might have chosen sheep for good and goats for sinful. Are there any other reasons?
Community Minded
I grew up near a sheep farming area. Sheep can be mischievous – and the grass is definitely greener on the other side of the fence. Individual sheep can be quite smart, can make their own decisions and recognise their shepherd. But sheep are taught from birth that safety lies in the flock. A sheep separated from its flock and unable to rejoin it is a very unhappy sheep. Sheep are community minded.
Status Minded
I have no personal experience of goats. But from research into the pros and cons of sheep versus goats, I’d say that young goats are not the most community minded of creatures. They play rough – a shepherd who kept their sheep and goats together would be well advised to separate the pregnant ewes from the goats, otherwise they’ll have more miscarriages in their flock.
Goats are hierarchical animals. The high-status goat gets the first pick of both grazing and partners. For a goat, what’s important is its status within the herd. For a sheep, what’s important is its flock. Yes, sheep have hierarchies. But their hierarchy is much more concerned with leading the flock. Safety is within the flock. A future is within the flock.
A flock without a leader-sheep or shepherd is going to head off in all directions. Easy prey for any predators. If sheep want their flock to play a starring role in ‘Sheep: The Next Generation’, they need a leader. They need a community.
Separation
So when the Shepherd separated the sheep and the goats, his listeners might think the more community minded (sheep) were on the right. Meanwhile, the more status minded (goats) were sent to the left.
Judgement
The Christian community seems to have originally seen this as a parable about judgement. How do we wait for judgement? Well, our community has poor and needy people, along with those the authorities threw into prison for being Christians…
So, at the outset, Christians took this parable as a warning that the final judgement would consider whether people had cared for their fellow Christians in need – or ignored them.
Modern Interpretations
However, for the last three or four centuries, an alternative interpretation has gained ground. In this interpretation, the poor and those in prison represent anyone in need, Christian or not. After all, the parable’s hardships are a lack of basic needs – food, drink, shelter, being cared for when ill, being fed and clothed in prison.
Modern Problems – Kings
One of the traditional functions of a King was to sit in judgement. In this parable, Jesus is placing himself as the King who judges.
This isn’t a big issue in the UK or other monarchies. We’re still used to the idea that the Courts of Justice are the Royal Courts of Justice. The King (or Queen) may no longer judge in person, but civil and criminal cases are still tried on their behalf. Jesus-as-King-at-Judgement isn’t a massive conceptual problem.
However, some countries hold strong republican views. These can make its citizens struggle with the idea of a King ruling over others – even if the ‘King’ represents God. If that’s the case, then the retelling for this parable could easily change ‘King’ to ‘Judge’ and ‘throne’ to ‘Judge’s Seat.’
Modern Problems – Eternal Punishment
The goats are off to an eternal punishment. This is something modern theology often struggles with: does a time-limited crime rate a punishment that will last for eternity?
We don’t know what ‘into the eternal fire’ means. Are we talking about the classic medieval conception of Hell, where God punishes peoples’ souls for eternity? Or are we talking about fires burning eternally and souls being instantly burnt up in them?
We don’t know – and we’re not likely to know until our own judgement day. It’s best to at least try to preserve the two possible meanings in any retelling; I went for ‘punishment with eternal consequences’.
Retelling
I switched ‘sheep and goats’ with ‘dogs and cats’. These animals are more familiar to people in the urban UK than sheep and goats..
Dogs are very family minded. They’re not a perfect fit with the ‘community minded’ sheep. However, a dog’s loyalty to their human family fits well with caring for those who can’t return the favour.
Likewise, a cat (a mostly solitary predator) is not a perfect fit for the hierarchically minded goat. However, cats are one of the most popular pets in the UK; they are well-known for being independent.
So, I have replaced the original ‘sheep’ and ‘goats’ with animals with similar status connotations.
The King has become a Judge – nearly the same meaning as the original parable. Depending on the country, it may also be possible to suggest that there’s no appeal from this judge.
The punishment and the reward both have eternal consequences – but it’s up to the reader/listener to think what eternal consequences might mean.
In the end, that’s the goal of any re-teller; to encourage people to think about what the parable means for them. Not: ‘what the heck did Jesus even mean?’
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