“Would a Shepherd Really Break a Wandering Sheep's Legs?”: Rethinking a Popular Christian Story
If you’ve been around Christian teaching for long, you may have heard the story:
A sheep keeps wandering from the flock. The shepherd, out of love, breaks its leg so it can’t wander again. He carries the sheep on his shoulders as it heals, and during that time, the sheep learns to trust and stay near the shepherd.
It’s been told in sermons, devotionals, and parenting books as a powerful picture of God’s discipline: the idea that He “breaks” us to teach trust.
It sounds spiritual. It’s emotionally compelling. But here’s the truth: there’s no historical, biblical, or agricultural evidence that shepherds ever did this. And even worse, the story might give us a damaging view of God.
Let’s take a deeper look at where this story comes from, what real shepherds actually do, and what the Bible really teaches about God’s discipline.
What Shepherds Actually Do
In both ancient times and today, shepherds are known for protecting and nurturing their flocks, not hurting them. In biblical times, sheep were a shepherd’s livelihood. Injuring one would have made it less valuable, more vulnerable to predators, and harder to care for. Modern shepherds in places like Israel, New Zealand, and the UK have rejected this story outright. Many say they’ve never even heard of it, and some are outraged by the suggestion.
W. Phillip Keller is a Christian and a former shepherd, and in his book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he never mentions breaking a sheep’s leg. Instead, he describes how shepherds lead, guide, and protect through gentle presence and relationship. A good shepherd does not break legs, he builds trust.
What Does the Bible Say?
The Bible gives us some of the most beautiful imagery of God's care, portraying Him as a gentle and sacrificial Shepherd.
Psalm 23: “He makes me lie down in green pastures… He restores my soul.”
Isaiah 40:11: “He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.”
John 10:11: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Luke 15:4–7: When the sheep wanders, the shepherd searches until he finds it, then carries it home joyfully. No leg-breaking involved.
These verses emphasize love, guidance, and restoration, not force or injury.
Where Did the Leg-Breaking Story Come From?
Surprisingly, the “broken leg” story doesn’t come from the Bible and it doesn’t come from the Middle East either. It likely came from modern Western sermons and devotional writing in the 1800s–1900s.
It shows up in the writings of Watchman Nee, sermons by J. Vernon McGee, and devotional books by Max Lucado and others.
In most cases, it’s cited without any sources with only a vague reference to “Middle Eastern shepherds.” Scholars, historians, and real shepherds have found no evidence this was ever a real practice. So while the story might be told with good intentions, it’s not grounded in Scripture or reality.
Why It Matters
You might wonder: “What’s the harm if the story teaches a spiritual truth?”
Actually, quite a bit.
The leg-breaking story misrepresents God’s heart and it has been used to justify harsh human behavior.
It portrays God as someone who inflicts pain to earn loyalty, rather than a Father who disciplines through love, truth, and relationship. Romans 2:4 tells us that “God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance”, which should make us question any kind of story that paints God as a manipulative or abusive figure who uses suffering as a means of control rather than transformation.
Sadly, this story has been used to excuse harsh parenting, authoritarian church leadership, and spiritual abuse disguised as “discipline”. But God’s discipline doesn’t look like that. It’s not about breaking, it’s about restoring. Proverbs 3:12 says that “The Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
It’s important to understand that the word “discipline” in the Bible is often referring to teaching. If God’s discipline (or the way He teaches us) is loving, then any form of discipline that is unloving, harsh, or demeaning misrepresents His heart and distorts the gospel. According to Scripture, God’s discipline is loving and rooted in relationship, not fear (Hebrews 12:6). His discipline is purposeful in order to grow us, not harm us (Hebrews 12:10–11), as well as gentle and corrective as a wise teacher would teach (2 Timothy 3:16).
God doesn’t need to “break our legs” to get our attention. He corrects us through His Spirit, His Word, and His people, in a way that reflects His kindness and grace.
The Better Story
The real Good Shepherd doesn’t hurt His sheep to make them trust Him. He calls them by name (John 10:3). He pursues the one who wanders (Luke 15:4). He carries them in His arms (Isaiah 40:11). He lays down His life to protect them (John 10:11). And when we stray, He doesn’t break us to bring us home. He carries us joyfully.
You don’t need a dramatic story to believe in God’s loving discipline. The truth is better than the myth: God leads, restores, corrects, and heals, never through cruelty, always through love. Let’s be careful with the stories we tell. And let’s hold tightly to the Shepherd who truly is good.
If you’ve been taught this story like I was and want to look into some resources, the list below would be a great start:
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller
Redeeming Power by Diane Langberg
Daily Life in Biblical Times by Oded Borowski
Scriptures: Psalm 23, John 10, Luke 15, Hebrews 12, Isaiah 40:11, Proverbs 3:12