The Good Shepherd
Preaching
Preaching the Parables
Cycle B
John 10 is generally considered the "Good Shepherd" chapter in a manner similar to the way that Hebrews 11 is often called the "faith" chapter. Jesus as the Good Shepherd has long been a popular concept. Even before the era of contemporary church architecture, for example, many churches had a large and prominent stained--glass window depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd holding in his arms a recovered sheep and leading a flock. This figure of Jesus as the Good Shepherd was also often found on the walls of the catacombs, where Jesus is usually shown carrying a sheep on his shoulders. The spiritual leader of a congregation is called a "pastor," of course, and this is the Latin word for "shepherd." And the most popular psalm through the centuries begins, "The Lord is my shepherd." Yet this popularity makes preaching on the concept very difficult. Because it is so well known, and has been preached so frequently, a preacher is often challenged to say something new or different about it.
Is the Good Shepherd account a parable? Some consider it to be more accurately termed as a metaphor. Most books about the parables do not define it as a parable, and indeed, John 10:6 is translated in different ways which makes clear definition difficult. The Revised Standard Version refers to a "figure Jesus used with them ..." while the King James Version says: "Jesus used this illustration...." Other versions of the Bible, however, do refer to it as a parable. The Good News Bible, for example, headlines this section as "The Parable of the Shepherd," while the Good News Bible, King James Version, and New English Bible all use the word "parable" in verse 6. While it remains unclear whether or not "The Good Shepherd" is a parable in the strictest sense, we can nevertheless treat it more broadly as a similitude which embodies an important message in Jesus' teachings.
Context
Context Of The Season
The parable of the Good Shepherd is presented in the Gospel for the fourth Sunday of Easter. This may seem strange until we consider the relationship between the parable and the Easter Season as a whole. In the post--Vatican II lectionary, Easter was expanded from a single day to an entire season. Before this time, we celebrated the resurrection on Easter Day, while each Sunday following was called "Sunday after Easter." Since we now celebrate Easter for seven Sundays in the Easter Season, we refer to each Sunday as a "Sunday of Easter."
Easter 4 begins a new segment of readings in the Easter Gospels. On previous Sundays we have learned of the empty tomb (Easter 1), of how Jesus convinced Thomas that he has risen (Easter 2), and of Luke's account in Easter 3 of Jesus' appearance to the assembled Disciples. Now Easter 4 arrives and brings the parable of the Good Shepherd.
Context Of The Day
In the Church Year this Sunday has been known for many years as "Good Shepherd Sunday" or "Misericordia Domini." The Theme of the Day is "The Good Shepherd Lives," and the Psalm is the appropriately titled Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd." The Prayer of the Day refers to Jesus as "the great shepherd of the sheep" and asks God the Father to "send us as shepherds ..." The recommended Hymn of the Day is "The Lord Is My Shepherd; I'll Not Want." If the organ selection and the choir offerings are all on the same theme, then the worshipers will hear about the Good Shepherd from prelude to postlude. It is only proper, therefore, that the sermon should also deal with the Good Shepherd.
Context Of The Lectionary
The three Lessons are also on the theme of the shepherd and the sheep.
The First Lesson. (Acts 4:8--12) After Peter and John heal a lame man at the beautiful gate of the temple, they are arrested and ordered the next day to explain how they performed the miracle. Peter explains that it was made possible in the name of Jesus whom they crucified and whom God raised from the dead.
The Second Lesson. (1 John 3:18--24) John calls attention to the comforting knowledge possessed by Christ's followers. Christians know they are of the truth, and they know that God lives in them because they have the Spirit. This corresponds to the Gospel section in which Jesus says he knows his sheep and his sheep know him.
The Gospel Lesson. (John 10:11--18) Jesus is the Good Shepherd who, for the sake of his sheep, lays down his life and takes it up again. We should see the parable in the context of the whole chapter:
vv. 1--10 - Jesus says he is the door of the sheep.
vv. 11--18 - Jesus says he is the good shepherd.
vv. 19--21 - There is a divided reaction to Jesus' claims.
vv. 22--29 - Jesus attends the Feast of the Dedication where his life is threatened because he claims oneness with God.
vv. 40--42 - Jesus retires to the region of the Jordan.
Content
Precis Of The Pericope
Jesus says: "I am the good shepherd. I am the good shepherd because a good shepherd dies for his sheep. A hired hand, who does not own the sheep, abandons the sheep when a wolf comes to snatch and scatter them. He runs away because he does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd who knows his sheep and whose sheep know him, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep and I must gather them also. They will obey my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. My Father loves me because I sacrifice my life in order to get it back again. No one takes my life; I give it willingly. I have the power to give it and to resurrect it. I do this in obedience to God's orders."
Thesis: Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he cared enough to die for us and to rise again.
Theme: Jesus rose from the dead to be our Good Shepherd.
Key Words In The Parable
1. "Am" (v. 11) At the time Jesus actually said, "I am," the present tense of the verb was appropriate. After almost 2,000 years however, should it not be "I was the good shepherd"? The answer is to be found in what he said later in reference to his resurrection: "I have power to take it again." It is for this reason that this pericope of the Good Shepherd is appropriate for the season when the church celebrates Easter - i.e., by virtue of the resurrection, Jesus is a Shepherd for all times. The author of Hebrews, for example, acknowledged this when he said that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). The last book of the Bible has Jesus saying: "I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore" (Revelation 1:17--18). Jesus, therefore, can say "I am the good shepherd" to us today just as surely as he did long ago to his followers in Palestine.
2. "The" (v. 11) Jesus does not say, "I am a good shepherd," but that "I am the good shepherd." This article is a key word because Jesus thereby sets forth his claim that he is the one and only shepherd of all people. Later he affirms his special role in declaring that "There shall be one flock, one shepherd." And in today's First Lesson, Peter affirms this when he states, "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). In the context of today's pluralistic society which believes that all roads lead to God, this claim of Jesus may seem arrogant and unduly exclusive. Nevertheless, it is the truth!
3. "Good" (v. 11) In the Greek language there are two words for "good." Agathos refers to a quality of morality, while Kalos, the word in our text means "good" not only in the ethical sense but also in terms of love, sympathy, and concern. Jesus is the "good" shepherd, therefore, because he cares for his sheep. In contrast, the bad shepherd runs away in a time of danger and does not care if beasts kill and scatter the sheep. Because there is none good but God, Jesus is good because he is godly. And he is godly because he is the Son of a good God!
4. "Shepherd" (v. 11) The rough and rocky terrain of Israel lent itself to the raising of sheep and consequently, the sheep was no doubt a familiar figure. The ancient shepherd lived with his sheep, and he was never off duty. Because he cared deeply for his sheep, he led them, provided for them, protected them from predators and poachers, and died for them when necessary. He probably knew them each by name, and certainly they knew the sound of his voice. We easily understand, therefore, why the figure of a shepherd was very popular in speaking of God and his appointed leaders.
God himself was often called a shepherd: "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel ..." (Psalm 80:1); "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd ..." (Isaiah 40:11).
The leaders of the nation, including kings, priests, and prophets, were also frequently called shepherds. David was known as the "shepherd of Israel," while both Jeremiah and Ezekiel preached against the false shepherds of their day who fed themselves but not the sheep and who even could be said to scatter the sheep.
It was only natural then that Jesus used the same figure to identify himself. As a good shepherd he seeks the lost sheep (Luke 15:3--7), and the newly--risen Jesus tells Peter to "feed his sheep" in order to prove his love.
From the very beginning, therefore, the church has continued to use the title "shepherd" for church leaders. When Paul leaves Ephesus for Jerusalem for the last time, to cite another example, he refers to the church as "the flock" and urges the elders to feed the sheep. Peter later commands the elders: "Tend the flock of God ..." (1 Peter 5:2). And in our day, of course, the spiritual leader of a congregation is usually called the pastor (shepherd).
5. "Sheep" (v. 11) If Jesus is the shepherd, then his followers are his "sheep." A lost person is termed a lost sheep, and Jesus had compassion for a crowd of nonbelievers because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Psalm 95 says it nicely: "He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand."
And indeed, people are much like sheep. We gather into crowds, and often blindly follow a leader. Like sheep, we are also gullible and may stand in line even when we do not know why. Our slogan so often seems to be "Everybody's doing it; why shouldn't I?" We therefore eagerly embrace fads, fashions, and trends without asking the reason or sense. We are shortsighted, again like sheep, for it is said that sheep can see no farther than six feet in front of them. Moreover, sheep are largely defenseless - a dog bites, a cat scratches, a porcupine has quills, a skunk has odor, but a sheep has little to protect itself. It is an easy prey.
Contemplation
Because parables constitute a literary form in which meanings are not explicit, readers, listeners, and especially preachers must invest much time and reflect to understand the meaning. We are no different from the Disciples in this regard for they also had difficulty understanding Jesus' parables. We are at the point of our study of the Good Shepherd at which we must try to ascertain the spiritual and theological message.
Questions For Contemplation
1. Why was the parable of the Good Shepherd chosen as a Gospel for the Easter season? On the surface, this parable seems to have no reference or connection with the Resurrection being celebrated during the Easter season. That God the Son knows us, guides us, gathers us, provides for us, protects us, and dies for us can be preached and appreciated at any time of the year. Is this parable therefore misplaced? I think not. During the Easter season, when we focus on the Resurrection, we should also see that the Good Shepherd did not only die for his shepherd but that he also rose again by his power. Without the Resurrection, therefore, Jesus would have been a good shepherd for his generation but not for those following. But Christ is today's Good Shepherd who lives and reigns to eternity, and who is alive, for example, to care for his sheep in the First Lesson when a cripple is healed through the power of Jesus' name (Acts 4:8--12).
2. What is the main idea behind the figure of the Good Shepherd? The focus of the parable is not on false shepherds (hirelings), or on the shepherd. It is rather, on the shepherd itself. It tells us about the nature of God's Son, and it answers the question, "What kind of a God do we have?" We have a shepherd, a pastor; we could call him "Pastor Jesus." And what kind of a pastor is he? There is none other like him, for in Jesus we know that we have a God who knows us, cares for us, protects us, and provides for us. And the specially wonderful aspect of our shepherd is that this pastor rose from the dead and lives forever to "pastor" us. This is the good news we preach on this Good Shepherd Sunday.
3. Is the metaphor of "The Good Shepherd" still relevant? The figure of shepherd and sheep was appropriate in Jesus' day because Christ lived in a pastoral and agricultural society. Most people knew the characteristics and work of a shepherd, and sheep were as common then as dogs and cats are to us today. Have any of us, on the other hand, ever met a shepherd? How many of us have even seen a real sheep other than in a picture, movie, or zoo? This concept is probably foreign to most inhabitants of an industrial and technological society. This presents a challenge to a preacher to make the metaphor of Christ as "The Good Shepherd" speak to this generation. Can we think of a more familiar figure than a shepherd to convey similar qualities? Since this is not likely, the preacher must point beyond the surface concept of a shepherd to the deeper truths a shepherd once expressed.
4. Are we all shepherds or are we sheep? When we attempt to apply the parable to the church today, should we deal with the members of the congregation as shepherds or sheep? Should we preach to convince people to be good shepherds? In recent years the emphasis in the church has been on the concept of the priesthood of all believers, so that every member is seen as a minister. A church leader recently wrote, for example, "It could speak to hearts warmed of a newly grasped concept as old as the gospel itself, the idea that we are all ministers." If we are all ministers (shepherds and pastors), then where are the sheep? Perhaps the "priesthood of believers" errs in placing to great an emphasis upon the number of shepherds at the expense of a more important concern with quality and commitment. According to the New Testament, the people of the church are the sheep that are led by pastors (shepherds). Jesus is our one great shepherd, and the called, ordained leaders are Under--shepherds. The church's problem, then, is to have only good shepherds rather than hirelings who seek financial gain and personal notoriety to the neglect of proper attention to the sheep.
Preaching The Parable
1. Pastor Jesus. Since "pastor" is a Latin word for "shepherd," it is as appropriate to say "Pastor Jesus" as to say "Jesus is my shepherd." Jesus is a pastor, and he is my pastor. This Good Shepherd parable describes God's relationship with his people since it tells us what kind of a pastor we have in Jesus.
A pastor who cares enough to die for us - vv. 11, 15, 17
A pastor who knows us - v. 14
A pastor who wants to care for all the people - v. 16
A pastor who rose from the dead to be our pastor today - vv. 17, 18
2. The one and only shepherd. In this parable, Jesus twice says, "I am the good shepherd." We Christians can therefore say about Jesus what David said about Goliath's sword, "There is none like that" (1 Samuel 21:9). Jesus is not merely one of many shepherds, but he alone is the shepherd of all humankind, because he is God's "beloved Son" announced at his baptism and confirmed at the Transfiguration. His death and resurrection made possible the redemption of our sinful world, and in today's First Lesson, we hear Peter proclaim to the religious leaders of Israel that "there is salvation in no one else."
In an age of pluralism, this claim of Jesus' unique role as savior for all may be offensive to some. In misguided tolerance, we often hold that all religions are roads to God, while some people claim it is an insult to Jews to witness to them about Christ. One of the reasons the number of overseas missionaries has fallen off so drastically in recent years may be because we no longer believe that Jesus is the only savior. Our interest now seems to be to send abroad food, clothing, and education to lift the standard of living for non--Christian people.
3. Three kinds of shepherds. The parable tells of both good and bad shepherds, but we should also consider the absence of any shepherd as a relevant case. This leads us to an important question: Which of these three is your shepherd?
No shepherd - "Like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36)
Bad shepherd - hireling (John 10:12--13)
Good Shepherd - "I am the good shepherd"
4. Poor sheep! Human sheep need a great deal of compassion since they are faced with two types of terrible enemies which threaten their very lives.
External enemy: wolves - predators and poachers
Internal enemy: hirelings - false shepherds
5. The willingness to die. Though Jesus loved life and wanted to live, he says in the parable that he willingly laid down his life on his "own accord" (v. 18). Although other faithful shepherds have certainly lost their lives from the attacks of wild animals or thieves in protection of their sheep, Jesus willingly dies for his sheep. Why?
Because of his love for his sheep - vv. 13, 15
Because of his obedience to his Father's will - v. 18
6. A shepherd for all. There is nothing sectarian or provincial about Jesus, the good shepherd. He is a universal shepherd for sheep of all times and nations. He has sheep other than the Jews (v. 16) and his dream is to have one worldwide flock with one shepherd. In hopes that this dream will become a reality, God's people engage in evangelism and missions in the worldwide mission of the church: one flock consisting of all people under one shepherd, Jesus.
Contact
What does the parable of the Good Shepherd say to our generation - to a secular, industrialized, and technological society? Does the metaphor of a shepherd have any relevance? Does this parable still speak to our moral and spiritual needs?
The Good Shepherd parable speaks to our need for a good leader who is also a good shepherd. Years ago, the world suffered from the leadership of men like Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, and more recently we have had similar problems with dictators like Khomeini and Kadhafi.
A good shepherd also gives us a sense of security which is often lacking in today's culture. How can we find financial security, for example, when banks fail, jobs are lost, and high medical costs take our savings? Even the family seems insecure. Many couples cannot be sure of marital fidelity - recent research indicates that over fifty percent of married women and over seventy percent of married men are unfaithful to their spouses - so it's little wonder that nearly half of all marriages end in divorce.
Ours is a hurting world. In America alone sixty million people are physically or mentally disabled, over thirteen million are deaf, ten million are blind, and almost three million are institutionalized. Millions of others join these in needing someone to care for them, to love them, help them, and listen to their woes. They all need a good shepherd to bind up their wounds, to comfort them in their worries, and to help them in their afflictions and needs.
Illustrative Materials
1. A Shepherd of the world. The Good Shepherd is one who gathers the people of the world into one flock with one shepherd (v. 16). Years ago, a Bishop of London was vacationing in Scotland. While walking in a rural area, he saw a Scottish shepherd, and he stopped and talked with him for a while. The Bishop said, "You know, I am a shepherd also." The old shepherd looked at this city stranger dressed in such churchly finery and said, "Oh, is that so? How many sheep do you have?" The Bishop replied, "I think about a million." In amazement, the shepherd asked, "And what in the world do you do at lambin' time?"
2. Hireling or shepherd? A cartoon shows "Brother Juniper" standing with a shepherd's staff, dressed in shepherd's attire, and saying to a flock looking up at him, "Don't look at me. I'm lost, too!"
3. Anybody care? The comedienne Lily Tomlin shocks her audience when she suddenly collapses on stage in the middle of her routine. She literally just falls over. After a few moments, while still flat on her back, she says to her audience, "I notice none of you got up to see if anything was wrong." Then with a cynical twist of a well--known phrase, she comments, "Remember, we're all in this - alone!" Certainly a good shepherd could restore the truth of the more familiar reading: Remember, we're all in this together!
4. Dying for others to live. A forest fire burned over some acreage near a farm and some buildings were destroyed. When the embers cooled, the farmer walked around surveying the damage. Noticing a burned lump on the ground, he stoked it with his stick. It was a hen burned to death. When he turned it over, he was surprised when three little chicks ran out terrified and chirping. The hen had died in the flames but somehow had saved her chicks. She died that they might live.
5. Being died for. One afternoon, in the spring of 1986, a mentally disturbed member of the world's largest Methodist church came to the church office to shoot the senior pastor, Dr. William Hinson. Since he was not in the church office at the time, the young man went to the office of an associate pastor, Eric Anderson, and killed him. He was shot as a substitute for the senior pastor. Dr. Hinson probably asked himself, "Am I worthy of being died for?" The Good Shepherd died for us - are we worth it?
Is the Good Shepherd account a parable? Some consider it to be more accurately termed as a metaphor. Most books about the parables do not define it as a parable, and indeed, John 10:6 is translated in different ways which makes clear definition difficult. The Revised Standard Version refers to a "figure Jesus used with them ..." while the King James Version says: "Jesus used this illustration...." Other versions of the Bible, however, do refer to it as a parable. The Good News Bible, for example, headlines this section as "The Parable of the Shepherd," while the Good News Bible, King James Version, and New English Bible all use the word "parable" in verse 6. While it remains unclear whether or not "The Good Shepherd" is a parable in the strictest sense, we can nevertheless treat it more broadly as a similitude which embodies an important message in Jesus' teachings.
Context
Context Of The Season
The parable of the Good Shepherd is presented in the Gospel for the fourth Sunday of Easter. This may seem strange until we consider the relationship between the parable and the Easter Season as a whole. In the post--Vatican II lectionary, Easter was expanded from a single day to an entire season. Before this time, we celebrated the resurrection on Easter Day, while each Sunday following was called "Sunday after Easter." Since we now celebrate Easter for seven Sundays in the Easter Season, we refer to each Sunday as a "Sunday of Easter."
Easter 4 begins a new segment of readings in the Easter Gospels. On previous Sundays we have learned of the empty tomb (Easter 1), of how Jesus convinced Thomas that he has risen (Easter 2), and of Luke's account in Easter 3 of Jesus' appearance to the assembled Disciples. Now Easter 4 arrives and brings the parable of the Good Shepherd.
Context Of The Day
In the Church Year this Sunday has been known for many years as "Good Shepherd Sunday" or "Misericordia Domini." The Theme of the Day is "The Good Shepherd Lives," and the Psalm is the appropriately titled Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd." The Prayer of the Day refers to Jesus as "the great shepherd of the sheep" and asks God the Father to "send us as shepherds ..." The recommended Hymn of the Day is "The Lord Is My Shepherd; I'll Not Want." If the organ selection and the choir offerings are all on the same theme, then the worshipers will hear about the Good Shepherd from prelude to postlude. It is only proper, therefore, that the sermon should also deal with the Good Shepherd.
Context Of The Lectionary
The three Lessons are also on the theme of the shepherd and the sheep.
The First Lesson. (Acts 4:8--12) After Peter and John heal a lame man at the beautiful gate of the temple, they are arrested and ordered the next day to explain how they performed the miracle. Peter explains that it was made possible in the name of Jesus whom they crucified and whom God raised from the dead.
The Second Lesson. (1 John 3:18--24) John calls attention to the comforting knowledge possessed by Christ's followers. Christians know they are of the truth, and they know that God lives in them because they have the Spirit. This corresponds to the Gospel section in which Jesus says he knows his sheep and his sheep know him.
The Gospel Lesson. (John 10:11--18) Jesus is the Good Shepherd who, for the sake of his sheep, lays down his life and takes it up again. We should see the parable in the context of the whole chapter:
vv. 1--10 - Jesus says he is the door of the sheep.
vv. 11--18 - Jesus says he is the good shepherd.
vv. 19--21 - There is a divided reaction to Jesus' claims.
vv. 22--29 - Jesus attends the Feast of the Dedication where his life is threatened because he claims oneness with God.
vv. 40--42 - Jesus retires to the region of the Jordan.
Content
Precis Of The Pericope
Jesus says: "I am the good shepherd. I am the good shepherd because a good shepherd dies for his sheep. A hired hand, who does not own the sheep, abandons the sheep when a wolf comes to snatch and scatter them. He runs away because he does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd who knows his sheep and whose sheep know him, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep and I must gather them also. They will obey my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. My Father loves me because I sacrifice my life in order to get it back again. No one takes my life; I give it willingly. I have the power to give it and to resurrect it. I do this in obedience to God's orders."
Thesis: Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he cared enough to die for us and to rise again.
Theme: Jesus rose from the dead to be our Good Shepherd.
Key Words In The Parable
1. "Am" (v. 11) At the time Jesus actually said, "I am," the present tense of the verb was appropriate. After almost 2,000 years however, should it not be "I was the good shepherd"? The answer is to be found in what he said later in reference to his resurrection: "I have power to take it again." It is for this reason that this pericope of the Good Shepherd is appropriate for the season when the church celebrates Easter - i.e., by virtue of the resurrection, Jesus is a Shepherd for all times. The author of Hebrews, for example, acknowledged this when he said that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). The last book of the Bible has Jesus saying: "I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore" (Revelation 1:17--18). Jesus, therefore, can say "I am the good shepherd" to us today just as surely as he did long ago to his followers in Palestine.
2. "The" (v. 11) Jesus does not say, "I am a good shepherd," but that "I am the good shepherd." This article is a key word because Jesus thereby sets forth his claim that he is the one and only shepherd of all people. Later he affirms his special role in declaring that "There shall be one flock, one shepherd." And in today's First Lesson, Peter affirms this when he states, "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). In the context of today's pluralistic society which believes that all roads lead to God, this claim of Jesus may seem arrogant and unduly exclusive. Nevertheless, it is the truth!
3. "Good" (v. 11) In the Greek language there are two words for "good." Agathos refers to a quality of morality, while Kalos, the word in our text means "good" not only in the ethical sense but also in terms of love, sympathy, and concern. Jesus is the "good" shepherd, therefore, because he cares for his sheep. In contrast, the bad shepherd runs away in a time of danger and does not care if beasts kill and scatter the sheep. Because there is none good but God, Jesus is good because he is godly. And he is godly because he is the Son of a good God!
4. "Shepherd" (v. 11) The rough and rocky terrain of Israel lent itself to the raising of sheep and consequently, the sheep was no doubt a familiar figure. The ancient shepherd lived with his sheep, and he was never off duty. Because he cared deeply for his sheep, he led them, provided for them, protected them from predators and poachers, and died for them when necessary. He probably knew them each by name, and certainly they knew the sound of his voice. We easily understand, therefore, why the figure of a shepherd was very popular in speaking of God and his appointed leaders.
God himself was often called a shepherd: "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel ..." (Psalm 80:1); "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd ..." (Isaiah 40:11).
The leaders of the nation, including kings, priests, and prophets, were also frequently called shepherds. David was known as the "shepherd of Israel," while both Jeremiah and Ezekiel preached against the false shepherds of their day who fed themselves but not the sheep and who even could be said to scatter the sheep.
It was only natural then that Jesus used the same figure to identify himself. As a good shepherd he seeks the lost sheep (Luke 15:3--7), and the newly--risen Jesus tells Peter to "feed his sheep" in order to prove his love.
From the very beginning, therefore, the church has continued to use the title "shepherd" for church leaders. When Paul leaves Ephesus for Jerusalem for the last time, to cite another example, he refers to the church as "the flock" and urges the elders to feed the sheep. Peter later commands the elders: "Tend the flock of God ..." (1 Peter 5:2). And in our day, of course, the spiritual leader of a congregation is usually called the pastor (shepherd).
5. "Sheep" (v. 11) If Jesus is the shepherd, then his followers are his "sheep." A lost person is termed a lost sheep, and Jesus had compassion for a crowd of nonbelievers because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Psalm 95 says it nicely: "He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand."
And indeed, people are much like sheep. We gather into crowds, and often blindly follow a leader. Like sheep, we are also gullible and may stand in line even when we do not know why. Our slogan so often seems to be "Everybody's doing it; why shouldn't I?" We therefore eagerly embrace fads, fashions, and trends without asking the reason or sense. We are shortsighted, again like sheep, for it is said that sheep can see no farther than six feet in front of them. Moreover, sheep are largely defenseless - a dog bites, a cat scratches, a porcupine has quills, a skunk has odor, but a sheep has little to protect itself. It is an easy prey.
Contemplation
Because parables constitute a literary form in which meanings are not explicit, readers, listeners, and especially preachers must invest much time and reflect to understand the meaning. We are no different from the Disciples in this regard for they also had difficulty understanding Jesus' parables. We are at the point of our study of the Good Shepherd at which we must try to ascertain the spiritual and theological message.
Questions For Contemplation
1. Why was the parable of the Good Shepherd chosen as a Gospel for the Easter season? On the surface, this parable seems to have no reference or connection with the Resurrection being celebrated during the Easter season. That God the Son knows us, guides us, gathers us, provides for us, protects us, and dies for us can be preached and appreciated at any time of the year. Is this parable therefore misplaced? I think not. During the Easter season, when we focus on the Resurrection, we should also see that the Good Shepherd did not only die for his shepherd but that he also rose again by his power. Without the Resurrection, therefore, Jesus would have been a good shepherd for his generation but not for those following. But Christ is today's Good Shepherd who lives and reigns to eternity, and who is alive, for example, to care for his sheep in the First Lesson when a cripple is healed through the power of Jesus' name (Acts 4:8--12).
2. What is the main idea behind the figure of the Good Shepherd? The focus of the parable is not on false shepherds (hirelings), or on the shepherd. It is rather, on the shepherd itself. It tells us about the nature of God's Son, and it answers the question, "What kind of a God do we have?" We have a shepherd, a pastor; we could call him "Pastor Jesus." And what kind of a pastor is he? There is none other like him, for in Jesus we know that we have a God who knows us, cares for us, protects us, and provides for us. And the specially wonderful aspect of our shepherd is that this pastor rose from the dead and lives forever to "pastor" us. This is the good news we preach on this Good Shepherd Sunday.
3. Is the metaphor of "The Good Shepherd" still relevant? The figure of shepherd and sheep was appropriate in Jesus' day because Christ lived in a pastoral and agricultural society. Most people knew the characteristics and work of a shepherd, and sheep were as common then as dogs and cats are to us today. Have any of us, on the other hand, ever met a shepherd? How many of us have even seen a real sheep other than in a picture, movie, or zoo? This concept is probably foreign to most inhabitants of an industrial and technological society. This presents a challenge to a preacher to make the metaphor of Christ as "The Good Shepherd" speak to this generation. Can we think of a more familiar figure than a shepherd to convey similar qualities? Since this is not likely, the preacher must point beyond the surface concept of a shepherd to the deeper truths a shepherd once expressed.
4. Are we all shepherds or are we sheep? When we attempt to apply the parable to the church today, should we deal with the members of the congregation as shepherds or sheep? Should we preach to convince people to be good shepherds? In recent years the emphasis in the church has been on the concept of the priesthood of all believers, so that every member is seen as a minister. A church leader recently wrote, for example, "It could speak to hearts warmed of a newly grasped concept as old as the gospel itself, the idea that we are all ministers." If we are all ministers (shepherds and pastors), then where are the sheep? Perhaps the "priesthood of believers" errs in placing to great an emphasis upon the number of shepherds at the expense of a more important concern with quality and commitment. According to the New Testament, the people of the church are the sheep that are led by pastors (shepherds). Jesus is our one great shepherd, and the called, ordained leaders are Under--shepherds. The church's problem, then, is to have only good shepherds rather than hirelings who seek financial gain and personal notoriety to the neglect of proper attention to the sheep.
Preaching The Parable
1. Pastor Jesus. Since "pastor" is a Latin word for "shepherd," it is as appropriate to say "Pastor Jesus" as to say "Jesus is my shepherd." Jesus is a pastor, and he is my pastor. This Good Shepherd parable describes God's relationship with his people since it tells us what kind of a pastor we have in Jesus.
A pastor who cares enough to die for us - vv. 11, 15, 17
A pastor who knows us - v. 14
A pastor who wants to care for all the people - v. 16
A pastor who rose from the dead to be our pastor today - vv. 17, 18
2. The one and only shepherd. In this parable, Jesus twice says, "I am the good shepherd." We Christians can therefore say about Jesus what David said about Goliath's sword, "There is none like that" (1 Samuel 21:9). Jesus is not merely one of many shepherds, but he alone is the shepherd of all humankind, because he is God's "beloved Son" announced at his baptism and confirmed at the Transfiguration. His death and resurrection made possible the redemption of our sinful world, and in today's First Lesson, we hear Peter proclaim to the religious leaders of Israel that "there is salvation in no one else."
In an age of pluralism, this claim of Jesus' unique role as savior for all may be offensive to some. In misguided tolerance, we often hold that all religions are roads to God, while some people claim it is an insult to Jews to witness to them about Christ. One of the reasons the number of overseas missionaries has fallen off so drastically in recent years may be because we no longer believe that Jesus is the only savior. Our interest now seems to be to send abroad food, clothing, and education to lift the standard of living for non--Christian people.
3. Three kinds of shepherds. The parable tells of both good and bad shepherds, but we should also consider the absence of any shepherd as a relevant case. This leads us to an important question: Which of these three is your shepherd?
No shepherd - "Like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36)
Bad shepherd - hireling (John 10:12--13)
Good Shepherd - "I am the good shepherd"
4. Poor sheep! Human sheep need a great deal of compassion since they are faced with two types of terrible enemies which threaten their very lives.
External enemy: wolves - predators and poachers
Internal enemy: hirelings - false shepherds
5. The willingness to die. Though Jesus loved life and wanted to live, he says in the parable that he willingly laid down his life on his "own accord" (v. 18). Although other faithful shepherds have certainly lost their lives from the attacks of wild animals or thieves in protection of their sheep, Jesus willingly dies for his sheep. Why?
Because of his love for his sheep - vv. 13, 15
Because of his obedience to his Father's will - v. 18
6. A shepherd for all. There is nothing sectarian or provincial about Jesus, the good shepherd. He is a universal shepherd for sheep of all times and nations. He has sheep other than the Jews (v. 16) and his dream is to have one worldwide flock with one shepherd. In hopes that this dream will become a reality, God's people engage in evangelism and missions in the worldwide mission of the church: one flock consisting of all people under one shepherd, Jesus.
Contact
What does the parable of the Good Shepherd say to our generation - to a secular, industrialized, and technological society? Does the metaphor of a shepherd have any relevance? Does this parable still speak to our moral and spiritual needs?
The Good Shepherd parable speaks to our need for a good leader who is also a good shepherd. Years ago, the world suffered from the leadership of men like Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, and more recently we have had similar problems with dictators like Khomeini and Kadhafi.
A good shepherd also gives us a sense of security which is often lacking in today's culture. How can we find financial security, for example, when banks fail, jobs are lost, and high medical costs take our savings? Even the family seems insecure. Many couples cannot be sure of marital fidelity - recent research indicates that over fifty percent of married women and over seventy percent of married men are unfaithful to their spouses - so it's little wonder that nearly half of all marriages end in divorce.
Ours is a hurting world. In America alone sixty million people are physically or mentally disabled, over thirteen million are deaf, ten million are blind, and almost three million are institutionalized. Millions of others join these in needing someone to care for them, to love them, help them, and listen to their woes. They all need a good shepherd to bind up their wounds, to comfort them in their worries, and to help them in their afflictions and needs.
Illustrative Materials
1. A Shepherd of the world. The Good Shepherd is one who gathers the people of the world into one flock with one shepherd (v. 16). Years ago, a Bishop of London was vacationing in Scotland. While walking in a rural area, he saw a Scottish shepherd, and he stopped and talked with him for a while. The Bishop said, "You know, I am a shepherd also." The old shepherd looked at this city stranger dressed in such churchly finery and said, "Oh, is that so? How many sheep do you have?" The Bishop replied, "I think about a million." In amazement, the shepherd asked, "And what in the world do you do at lambin' time?"
2. Hireling or shepherd? A cartoon shows "Brother Juniper" standing with a shepherd's staff, dressed in shepherd's attire, and saying to a flock looking up at him, "Don't look at me. I'm lost, too!"
3. Anybody care? The comedienne Lily Tomlin shocks her audience when she suddenly collapses on stage in the middle of her routine. She literally just falls over. After a few moments, while still flat on her back, she says to her audience, "I notice none of you got up to see if anything was wrong." Then with a cynical twist of a well--known phrase, she comments, "Remember, we're all in this - alone!" Certainly a good shepherd could restore the truth of the more familiar reading: Remember, we're all in this together!
4. Dying for others to live. A forest fire burned over some acreage near a farm and some buildings were destroyed. When the embers cooled, the farmer walked around surveying the damage. Noticing a burned lump on the ground, he stoked it with his stick. It was a hen burned to death. When he turned it over, he was surprised when three little chicks ran out terrified and chirping. The hen had died in the flames but somehow had saved her chicks. She died that they might live.
5. Being died for. One afternoon, in the spring of 1986, a mentally disturbed member of the world's largest Methodist church came to the church office to shoot the senior pastor, Dr. William Hinson. Since he was not in the church office at the time, the young man went to the office of an associate pastor, Eric Anderson, and killed him. He was shot as a substitute for the senior pastor. Dr. Hinson probably asked himself, "Am I worthy of being died for?" The Good Shepherd died for us - are we worth it?
