Be Shepherds of God's Flock (Part II)

The shepherd of yesteryear -- almost unknown in industrialized, western nations -- was an important part of a community. Because sheep were valuable for a number of reasons (clothing, food, and even milk & cheese) it was the shepherd's duty to keep the flock healthy and safe. Moreover, the shepherd was a doctor, leader, an encourager, a servant and a guard to his flock.

Shepherds moved the sheep from field to field to ensure that they always had adequate food, water and safety. The shepherd usually worked with other shepherds in teams to oversee large flocks, and some would go ahead of the flock to prepare fields while others moved the flock along, while still others may have cleaned up behind the flock.

The work of the shepherd involved intimate knowledge of each sheep. There was an emotional attachment to each member of the flock because of their innocence and relative defenselessness. The sheep would often want to cuddle with the shepherd in quiet moments or at night while sleeping. Shepherds had to diagnose health problems and work to treat them proactively. They were not well paid for this work, so they had to truly love the animals and care for their well-being more than any compensation that might come from this vocation.

Is it any wonder that Peter and Jesus draw from the work of the shepherds of their day in describing the men who are to oversee the people of God? Peter's admonition to perform the work out of love for God and man rather than money (1 Pet. 3:3) and Jesus' use of terms such as "thieves, robbers...hirelings..." to describe imposters (John 10:8, 12), leaves no doubt that God wants men who are fully committed to the lives of the flock to serve in this capacity.

Truly, understanding the work of a shepherd sheds great light on the work of the men that we call the eldership. I've often wondered why we call these men elders (a term that refers to age), rather than shepherds (which is descriptive of their work). Thankfully, many congregations are moving to a more prominent use of the term "shepherd" in describing these men because of its rich meaning. The intimacy, the frequent communication, and the selfless service that men appointed to these positions are supposed to exhibit is more aptly bound up in the term shepherd. Jesus described himself as the "good shepherd" (John 10:14), and "I know my sheep and my sheep know me..."

Truly, the work of a shepherd/elder is crucial to the congregation.  The question is not whether or not God has structured His church to be successful, but whether or not we are living out the inspired model in our congregations.