mary’s little lamb
We’ve all heard – some have even read – the famous children’s poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” But, have you ever really given it a good look? Although some reports base the creation of this poem on an actual event of a girl named Mary taking her pet lamb to school one day, I propose that a deeper, Christian meaning – and maybe even a prophetic message – are what we have been working with since Sarah Hale wrote and published it in 1830.
Pay close attention to the lines I have colored in bold red.
Mary had a little lamb,
little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb,
whose fleece was white as snow.And everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
and everywhere that Mary went,
the lamb was sure to go.It followed her to school one day
school one day, school one day,
It followed her to school one day,
which was against the rules.It made the children laugh and play,
laugh and play, laugh and play,
it made the children laugh and play
to see a lamb at school.And so the teacher turned it out,
turned it out, turned it out,
And so the teacher turned it out,
but still it lingered near,And waited patiently about,
patiently about, patiently about,
And waited patiently about
till Mary did appear.“Why does the lamb love Mary so?”
Love Mary so? Love Mary so?
“Why does the lamb love Mary so,”
the eager children cry.“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know.”
The lamb, you know, the lamb, you know,
“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,”
the teacher did reply.
But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them;for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” – Mark 10:14“And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” – Matthew 18:5-
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