IT'S ABOUT THE SHEPHERD, NOT THE SHEEP
Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-- and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father.
"And I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father."
Some people struggle with Jesus’ characterization of Himself as the good shepherd, because they object to themselves being characterized as sheep. While we might not object to being thought of as cute and cuddly, not all the connotations about sheep are necessarily positive. As we learned so well from the movie Babe The Pig, "sheep are dumb."
It might be that one of the problems some people might have with Jesus calling Himself the good shepherd is that they are focusing on the wrong subject in His statement. It is more likely that Jesus’ focus, in calling Himself the good shepherd, was on the role He wishes to play in our lives, rather than offering His assessment on other people. Jesus might say to us, "It’s about the shepherd, not the sheep."
When Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd, one of the things He is declaring to us is that He is committed to us. We often hear the challenge to "commit our lives to Christ," but do we realize that He has already committed His life to us? The Bible says that God demonstrated His love for us in this; that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus tells us the same thing, when He says, "the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
When Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd, He is also saying that He is dependable. Jesus can be counted upon. His faithfulness does notgood shepherd waver and is not subject to circumstances, not even death itself. "I lay My life down in order to take it up again…I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again." Even the best people eventually leave us due to death, but not Jesus! Under no circumstances will Jesus ever let us down.
On the other hand, people’s faithfulness is vulnerable. Some of us may have found ourselves in the unfortunate position of not being faithful "in the crunch." We may have been surprised that we could be unfaithful in this way or that. We may have disappointed other people who were counting on us. Is there anyone among us who has not been the hired hand at least once?
Of course, few people are as bad as the wolf, but none of us are as good as the good shepherd. Even the best people in our lives let us down sometimes. It is really not fair to expect otherwise. When we think about it for a moment, God’s shoes are really much too big for any mere mortal to fill. We need to give ourselves, and other people, a little breathing room in this regard.
Although Jesus might not have meant to directly imply that people are too much like sheep, we ought not to discount the possibility that some people are. Sheep may or may not actually be dumb, but observations indicate they may be all too easily swayed. It is not terribly hard for a skilled sheepdog to herd an entire flock of sheep.
It would appear that at least some people are all too easily swayed as well. If we doubt that, we might ponder why anybody would buy the beat up jeans they call "grunge jeans." And why do some women wear those pointy toed high heeled shoes? They can’t be comfortable, and they’re no good for the feet either. Some women are even having surgery to accommodate those things!
"Grunge jeans" may not be great fashion statements, and pointy toed high heeled shoes may be difficult to walk in and not good for the feet, but there is no eternal consequence to wearing either. However, there are some dangers that could have serious consequences in our lives today and also into eternity. The Bible warns us that your enemy the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour. Jesus described the devil as the wolf (who) snatches them and scatters them.
In the 23rd Psalm, King David wrote Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Sometimes people mistakenly think of "the rod and staff" as instruments of violence. It would be strange if David said he was comforted by being hit. They could be used to exert a harsh form of discipline if necessary, but they were used much more often to guide the sheep in the right direction.
Let’s face it, we all need direction from time to time. Nobody’s foresight is 100% accurate, and none of us always acts the right way all the time. The Bible says there is a way that seems right to a person, but in the end it leads to death. Whether we’re considering the death of a lifestyle or a relationship, or eternal death itself, death is not a desirable outcome of any activity.
Jesus gives His followers the option of life. He said, "I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." What did Jesus tell His followers, that gave them the option of abundant life instead of death? "If you obey My commands… ." The option of life that Jesus offers us comes at a price: obeying the good shepherd.
It is a good thing that it’s about the shepherd and not the sheep. People may let us down, and we will let ourselves and other people down, but God will never let us down. He won’t do everything we want or might expect, or give us everything we want or think we need. We might be disappointed that God allows some things to happen in our lives, that are absolutely not our fault but nevertheless harm us. But He will do right for His people according to His wisdom and commitment to us.
King David learned over a lifetime of experience that it is wise to entrust our lives to the care of the good shepherd. He wrote, The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; You have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over. Surely Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
"And I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father."
Some people struggle with Jesus’ characterization of Himself as the good shepherd, because they object to themselves being characterized as sheep. While we might not object to being thought of as cute and cuddly, not all the connotations about sheep are necessarily positive. As we learned so well from the movie Babe The Pig, "sheep are dumb."
It might be that one of the problems some people might have with Jesus calling Himself the good shepherd is that they are focusing on the wrong subject in His statement. It is more likely that Jesus’ focus, in calling Himself the good shepherd, was on the role He wishes to play in our lives, rather than offering His assessment on other people. Jesus might say to us, "It’s about the shepherd, not the sheep."
When Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd, one of the things He is declaring to us is that He is committed to us. We often hear the challenge to "commit our lives to Christ," but do we realize that He has already committed His life to us? The Bible says that God demonstrated His love for us in this; that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus tells us the same thing, when He says, "the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
When Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd, He is also saying that He is dependable. Jesus can be counted upon. His faithfulness does notgood shepherd waver and is not subject to circumstances, not even death itself. "I lay My life down in order to take it up again…I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again." Even the best people eventually leave us due to death, but not Jesus! Under no circumstances will Jesus ever let us down.
On the other hand, people’s faithfulness is vulnerable. Some of us may have found ourselves in the unfortunate position of not being faithful "in the crunch." We may have been surprised that we could be unfaithful in this way or that. We may have disappointed other people who were counting on us. Is there anyone among us who has not been the hired hand at least once?
Of course, few people are as bad as the wolf, but none of us are as good as the good shepherd. Even the best people in our lives let us down sometimes. It is really not fair to expect otherwise. When we think about it for a moment, God’s shoes are really much too big for any mere mortal to fill. We need to give ourselves, and other people, a little breathing room in this regard.
Although Jesus might not have meant to directly imply that people are too much like sheep, we ought not to discount the possibility that some people are. Sheep may or may not actually be dumb, but observations indicate they may be all too easily swayed. It is not terribly hard for a skilled sheepdog to herd an entire flock of sheep.
It would appear that at least some people are all too easily swayed as well. If we doubt that, we might ponder why anybody would buy the beat up jeans they call "grunge jeans." And why do some women wear those pointy toed high heeled shoes? They can’t be comfortable, and they’re no good for the feet either. Some women are even having surgery to accommodate those things!
"Grunge jeans" may not be great fashion statements, and pointy toed high heeled shoes may be difficult to walk in and not good for the feet, but there is no eternal consequence to wearing either. However, there are some dangers that could have serious consequences in our lives today and also into eternity. The Bible warns us that your enemy the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour. Jesus described the devil as the wolf (who) snatches them and scatters them.
In the 23rd Psalm, King David wrote Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Sometimes people mistakenly think of "the rod and staff" as instruments of violence. It would be strange if David said he was comforted by being hit. They could be used to exert a harsh form of discipline if necessary, but they were used much more often to guide the sheep in the right direction.
Let’s face it, we all need direction from time to time. Nobody’s foresight is 100% accurate, and none of us always acts the right way all the time. The Bible says there is a way that seems right to a person, but in the end it leads to death. Whether we’re considering the death of a lifestyle or a relationship, or eternal death itself, death is not a desirable outcome of any activity.
Jesus gives His followers the option of life. He said, "I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." What did Jesus tell His followers, that gave them the option of abundant life instead of death? "If you obey My commands… ." The option of life that Jesus offers us comes at a price: obeying the good shepherd.
It is a good thing that it’s about the shepherd and not the sheep. People may let us down, and we will let ourselves and other people down, but God will never let us down. He won’t do everything we want or might expect, or give us everything we want or think we need. We might be disappointed that God allows some things to happen in our lives, that are absolutely not our fault but nevertheless harm us. But He will do right for His people according to His wisdom and commitment to us.
King David learned over a lifetime of experience that it is wise to entrust our lives to the care of the good shepherd. He wrote, The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; You have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over. Surely Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
posted by Pastor Monahan at 5:50 PM
<< Home