November 20, 2010
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Christ, the good shepherd
It is difficult for us today to understand some of the stories of the Bible because we are distant from the way of life the people of the Bible lived. Very few of us have had much experience raising farm animals and those of us who have aren’t familiar with raising livestock like they did at the time our sacred stories were written. People who are serious about raising livestock for a living don’t let them wander about the countryside and they certainly don’t wander about with them. It is my understanding this is particularly true of people who raise sheep. Sheep are primarily raised for their wool and some for their meat and milk, but mostly for the wool. Sheep produce wool in any environment so it is not necessary to give sheep a great deal of freedom to get the product desired so most commercially raised sheep are kept in confined space eliminating the need for shepherd and sheep dogs and vast pasture land. This was not true in the time of ancient Israel or even in the time of Jesus. Sheep were the most prized possession of families as they provided them with food and clothing and a source of income. A good shepherd was highly prized by a family. If you remember of the story of Samuel anointing David, you will remember David was not present when Samuel held the sacrifice and reviewed Jesse’s children looking for the next monarch of Israel. Jesse says David isn’t present because he is tending the sheep. This has been used to say they thought David of no account, just a shepherd but the truth may be that Jesse didn’t have David present because he knew what an able shepherd David was and did not want to lose this valuable talent.
Sheep are not easy to care for and it might help us to understand some of the characteristics of sheep to better understand what it means when we are referred to as being sheep. Sheep prefer being in groups and taking their direction and their protection from following the flock, an isolated sheep is terrified and tends not to behave in self-protective ways. Sheep are not bright animals and then tend to follow whoever appears to be in front. Sheep spend little to know time on grooming or wound care. They are totally dependent upon their shepherd or owner to groom them or tend to bites or wounds. Sheep can be very stubborn, particularly insisting on following the flock. Sheep have few defenses other than to run and have difficulty getting up if they have been knocked on their backs. As you can see, being called sheep is not particularly flattering. While many of these characteristics of sheep may not apply to us, it is true we are totally dependent upon the Shepherd to guide and care for us.
Pastors are often referred to as the shepherd of the congregation. Intentional Interim Specialists are required to read the book Temporary Shepherds based on the perception of pastors as shepherds of the congregation. The reading from Jeremiah today contains a warning to the shepherds who mistreat God’s sheep. It is a valuable warning for those of us who claim a call to be shepherds for God’s sheep. Shepherds do not lead their sheep into danger, they do not let them graze on poisonous plants or drink at poisonous wells. Good shepherds do not allow their sheep to wander off into danger, or leave their sheep vulnerable to predators. Good shepherds will even lay down their lives to protect their sheep. As I said earlier, David was seen as a good shepherd. David did not run away in the face of danger and David did not abandon his sheep. David was an excellent shepherd for the people of Israel. The people trusted David and would follow him wherever he wanted them to go. Despite all of David’s skills at being a shepherd, even David failed. David forgot what was required of a good shepherd and had to be reminded by God of what was right.
There is always a danger when we, the sheep put too much faith in our human shepherds. The people who are called to be our shepherds are after all human. They have many of the same characteristics of the sheep they are called to shepherd. They too can be swayed by the crowd, they too can be stubborn and insist on having their own way even to their own harm, they too can believe their safety comes from standing with the crowd, and they too can fail to do good self-care. I tend to think of myself more as one of the sheep whose job it is to know the shepherd really well. I am the sheep that helps the flock to recognize a wolf in shepherd’s clothing. I am supposed to spend much of my time listening to the shepherd’s voice so I will notice when the voice that is leading us is not that of the shepherd. I am not the Good Shepherd, I am just a sheep who wants to stay in the flock of the Good Shepherd because I have come to trust that the Good Shepherd knows what is best for the sheep God has given to the Good Shepherd.
Christ is the Good Shepherd, the Christ became a sheep so we could better identify with the Good Shepherd and with God who sent Jesus to us. When I think of Jesus in this way it makes sense to me that Jesus was both sacrificial lamb and shepherd. Jesus came to us so we might better understand the Good Shepherd when we are being guided and protected by the Christ. It was Christ, the Good Shepherd who could while dying on the cross speak words of comfort to the sheep dying next to him. It was Christ the Good Shepherd who would plead for forgiveness of the sheep who had turned on the shepherd to their own peril. I urge you, when you are looking for your shepherd, do not be satisfied with following other sheep, no matter how confident they seem, or how well spoken they may be, focus instead on Christ the Good Shepherd. Amen.
