The Shepherd and Us

      I don’t know about you, but I know very little first-hand about shepherds and sheep, or goats. What I do know I have learned second-hand, by watching the History Channel, or reading from books written by real-life shepherds about the 23^rd Psalm. I have learned that sheep are not very smart. They are smelly and not very well motivated, mostly staying away from change, and anything less than routine. Sheep are creatures of habit, tending to follow, or not follow, whichever sheep decides to be the leader for the day, oblivious to the many dangers on the hills and mountain pastures.

      So, we see that shepherds for those needy sheep must be individuals who are constantly aware of what the sheep might or not do, ready to prevent a problem, or rescue a sheep from a dangerous situation. Being a shepherd is a demanding and challenging, yet rewarding job. No wonder Jesus looked at us, called us his sheep, and realized that he must be our Shepherd.

      Jesus had much to say about how he is the Good Shepherd, and we are his sheep. In John 10 Jesus gives a beautiful picture of how he as our Shepherd is willing to lay down his life for us. In Mark 14, on that Thursday night before his arrest, Jesus predicts how the disciples, the sheep, will scatter because they will have no Shepherd.

      But Jesus also says to his disciples then and now, “I will leave you physically and give my life for you, but my Spirit will always be with you. My Spirit, the Spirit of the Good Shepherd, will watch over you, lead you, and heal you. You will always be my sheep, and I will always be your Shepherd. I promise.”

      We know that Jesus’ mission statement contains these words, “I have come to seek and save whoever is lost.”(Luke 19:10) Then Jesus tells us that if he had one hundred sheep and one was lost, he would leave the ninety-nine and go find the one who was lost. (Matthew 18:12) We find in the John 10 reading the not so surprising news that he has other sheep outside of his fold, who he must go out and find and bring into the church, into a relationship with him, so that there will be one fold with Christ as the Good Shepherd. What a wonderful picture this verse paints for us! If Jesus is willing to go outside the safety of the church to find others, why are we waiting? Why aren’t we going with him?

     You see, being in the same pasture with Jesus as our Shepherd is not just about being “churchy.” It’s not just about what we “do” as a church and what we “do” for ourselves and even others. Being in the same pasture with Jesus involves relationships; relationships with the other sheep and an intimate, intentional relationship with the Shepherd, getting to really know him. Perhaps after that relationship begins, we will begin thinking differently about worship, church, and our faith walk with Jesus. It may not be so much about what we can do for the church, what we can do for others, or even what we can do for God; as important as all that is. Worship, church, and our faith walk may be more about what God can do with us and in us. So the question may be, “If we are sheep, what is our relationship with the Good Shepherd? Do we really know him? Or, are we all over the hills and mountainsides doing our own thing, instead of following the Good Shepherd?

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, October 28, 2012