religious leaders of his day, who were supposed to be spiritual shepherds, is accepted and cared for by Jesus, the good Shepherd, who goes before His own sheep.1 Those who do belong to Him, such as this blind man, follow Him as He leads them into spiritual pasturage and watches over them. It is clear therefore in the parable that Christ is the good Shepherd leading His own sheep, in contrast to these false shepherds of the Pharisees who are more bent on destroying the sheep rather than leading them.