What’s the deal with Shepherds?
Psalm 23 begins with the line “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing!” I prefer this from the popular translation, as it talks about not lacking the things we need, rather than the things we want. It is strange to think about God being a shepherd, but the fact is, the lowly shepherd has an impressive pedigree in Scripture. Abraham, Moses and even King David all tended the flocks. When the angels declared the birth of Jesus, it was to shepherds. There must be something to this profession.
Shepherds dwelt on the fringes of society, yet it was their devotion that stood them apart. They led their flock to new pastures when the feed grew low, to water when thirsty. They guided their sheep through the often-harsh landscape, searched for and found them when they were lost, and protected them from harm with rod and staff. In a dangerous world, they kept them safe and provided for them.
Yet, sheep do go astray, and when these sheep are us, it can seem really difficult to come back to the fold, when you have realised you have made a mistake or even just feel lost. Yet Jesus had another parable about his:
What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” he would say, “I have found my sheep that was lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous who have no need of repentance.
God is in the lost-sheep business. This parable reveals to us what God is like, and what Jesus is like. No matter what, he accepts us back.
Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd, the one who lays down his life for his sheep. He also stated that he was not only the shepherd but also the gate. In ancient times, the shepherd guarded and slept at the mouth of the sheepfold, becoming the gate and the shepherd. The message is that In Jesus lies both our safety and our salvation.
He said, “I know my own and my own know me.” He calls us to follow him, and like sheep to the shepherd, we know his voice. There was no need for brands or marks, just recognition. Think about it! God has been with us through our entire lives – we are not strangers. We are like a baby who is instantly soothed by the gentle touch and voice of our mother when we are in the presence of our God…and are listening. Yet sometimes we do follow those that do not have our best interest at heart, who, in seeking their own freedoms, reduce others. Worse still, sometimes these strangers are of our own making – they are the times we ignore or resist what we know to be right. They are the voices that put our own rights before that of the community, that seek promotion and status before respect and dignity, that look at the pursuit of money as the measure of one’s worth.
So how do we make sure we are listening to the right voice. Start by asking yourself, “What I am looking for?” In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ first words are, “What do you want?” The rest of the Gospel tries to answer this. Then, when Jesus meets Mary Magdala on that first Easter morning, he says, “who are you looking for?” Mary is looking for Jesus’ body and thinks he is the gardener. Jesus say only a single word and Mary immediately recognise who this man in front of her was. That word was “Mary!” He called her by name…and she at once recognised the voice. So, when we too feel lost, caught in despair, or just needing some care and comfort, ask, then wait for the call.
The prophet Jeremiah, proclaiming God’s message, once noted, “I will raise up shepherds to look after them.” This was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus, that perfect shepherd, but you will hopefully have noticed the plural – and that is intentional. Maybe this is the priests, after all the term pastor is the Latin word for shepherd. However, when we look deeper inside ourselves, we see this as our calling to be shepherds for those in our lives who need our care, protection, and concern. Who in your life needs a good shepherd to lead them to green pastures, to protect them from the wolves and the weather, to teach them? We are called to minister to those in need, not to ignore and leave them. It is not the sheep nor the shepherd’s fault that the wolf comes, but it remains the shepherd’s calling to act on it. We were all created in the image and likeness of God, and I am forever humbled by the realisation that we are constantly being asked to rise to the responsibility of this likeness. Only then can we enter the gate and find what the Psalm we began with says:
Ah, how goodness and kindness pursue me,
every day of my life;
My home, the house of the Lord
as long as I live!
Dr Nathan Leber
