A Friend Of Sheep
With readiness and care, good pastors work with God to maintain and enlarge a meadow of shalom in the midst of chaos and division; an embassy of eternal life along the edges of a broken culture.
Whether as an agricultural vocation with ancient roots or an analogy for Christian ministers, past and present, a shepherd's relationship with the sheep portrays a life-giving covenant between God and his creation.
The metaphor of shepherd and sheep is one of the most familiar in Scripture. Jesus is named the great shepherd of the sheep (Heb. 13:20), and he calls himself the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). A pastor's call is to shepherd; the pastor is a shepherd. A sheep-herder; not a driver of the sheep, but their guardian (1 Peter 2:25). Their protector. A friend of the sheep.
If we are talking about sheep-as-woolly-animals, shepherds and sheep are rather different, sharing only 80-90% of their DNA. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, while domesticated sheep have 27. If we are talking about sheep-as-humans, then shepherds and sheep share 98-99.9% of their DNA (depending on how you measure). Obviously, there's more to difference than DNA. We can learn to see that difference, name it, and build friendship across it.
Sheep are of two herds. There are the sheep who know Jesus's voice; they have come to trust his voice, trust him. And there are the sheep who don't, that he wishes would.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Whether actual sheep or people, the shepherd's work is to gather, seek, save, defend, keep, and look after the flock. The Great Shepherd, his under‑shepherds, and his sheep, abide together in the same pasture, sharing love and a communion of knowing.
“Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
We need good and wise shepherds. There are ravenous wolves around who are not sheep, but who dress up in fleece. These are false messengers determined to scatter the sheep and prey on them (Matt. 7:15, 10:16). The wolves embezzle the Christian name and mannerisms. They learn the language (baa-aa-aa). But their agenda is to separate the sheep from the flock and the Great and Good Shepherd.
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
With readiness and care, good pastors work with God to maintain and enlarge a meadow of shalom in the midst of chaos and division; an embassy of eternal life along the edges of a broken culture. Shepherding, pastoring, is a heart set and a skill. It's humble but praiseworthy work.