During the Palestinian uprising in the late 1980’s the Israeli army decided to punish a village near Bethlehem for not paying its taxes. These taxes, the villagers claimed, simply financed the occupation. The officer in command rounded up all of the village animals and placed them in a large barbed-wire pen.

Later in the week he was approached by a woman who begged him to release her flock, arguing that since her husband was dead, the animals were her only source of livelihood. The officer pointed to the pen containing hundreds of animals and humorously quipped that it was impossible because he could not find her sheep. She asked that if she could separate them herself, would he be willing to let her take them. He agreed.

A soldier opened the gate and the woman’s son produced a small reed flute. He played a simple tune again and again – and soon sheep heads began popping up across the pen. The young boy continued his music and walked home, followed by his flock of twenty-five sheep.

Gary M. Burge, The NIV Application Commentary: John, (Zonderavan: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2000) p302