No. 947 Diocese of Marbel, Philippines 30 July 2017
CHRISTIAN SHEPHERDING
Meaning
Leading people to Christ, the chief shepherd (cf 1 Pet. 5: 4) who is good (Jn. 10: 10) and great (cf. Heb. 13: 20).
Tasks
- nurturing with God’s Word;
- watching over with love;
- protecting from harm, with steadfast faith;
- guiding towards Christ with enduring patience and hope.
Aim
To enable people to become Christified; meaning, to think like Christ, will like Christ and act like Christ, thereby contributing to the growth of God’s Kingdom on earth.
Qualifications
- 1 Timothy 3: 2-7: “an impeccable character…not married more than once, temperate, discreet and courteous, hospitable and a good teacher; not a heavy drinker, nor hot-tempered, but kind and peaceable…not a lover of money…who manages his family well and brings his children up to obey him…and well-behaved; of good reputation” (cf. Titus 1: 5-9; 1 Peter 5: 1-3)
Scriptures Story of Shepherding
(From Bobby Jamieson, 9 marks.org who based it on T.S Laniek, “Shepherds after my own heart: Pastoral Tradition and Leadership in the Bible”, New Studies in Biblical Theology 20, 2006).
- The Divine Shepherd of the Exodus
God brings his people out of Egypt (cf. Exodus 13: 17), guides them through the wilderness for forty years and leads them safely into the Promised Land (cf. Numbers 33: 1-49; Ps 105: 42-45).
Ps. 77: 20 “you guided your people like a flock by the hands of Moses and Aaron.”
Ex. 13: 21-22 “Yahweh went before them, by day in the form of a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and by night in the form of a pillar of fire to give them light: thus they could continue their march by day and by night.”
God was personally present with his people: Moses said to Yahweh, ‘see, you yourself say to me’, “make the people go on…but you do not let me know who it is you will send with me…”(Ex. 33: 12) “Yahweh replied, ‘I myself will go withyou’” (Ex. 33:” 14).
God provided food and water. “They demanded food, he sent them quails, he satisfied them with the bread of heaven; he opened the rock, the waters gushed to flow through the desert like a river” (Ps. 105: 40-41; cf. Ex. 16: 13-16; Ex. 17: 6-7).
God protected his chosen people. “If Yahweh is pleased with us, he will lead us into this land and give it to us. It is a land where milk and honey flow…Do not be afraid of the people of this land; we shall gobble them up. Their tutelary shadow has gone from them so long as Yahweh is with us. Do not be afraid of them”. (Numbers 14: 8-9). The enemies referred to by Joshua and Caleb are the Amalekite, Hittite, Amorite, Jebusite and Canaanite (cf. Num. 13: 29).
Moses told the Israelites: “Yahweh your God goes about within your camp to guard you and to deliver your enemies to you.” (Deuteronomy 23: 14).
God healed those bitten by fiery serpents. “If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live. So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.” (Num. 21: 8-9).
From out of Egypt to entrance in the Promised Land and beyond God had been leading Israel, like a shepherd leading the sheep, with love and kindness (cf. Hosea 11: 1-8); for God said “I am God, not man; I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy” (v. 9).
Jesus the Good Shepherd
“I am the good shepherd:
The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep” (John 10: 11).
“I am the good shepherd;
I know my own and my own know me” (v. 14)
Comments Jerusalem Bible, footnote “g”: In biblical language, cf. Hos. 2: 22+, “knowledge” is not merely the conclusion of an intellectual process, but the fruit of an ‘experience’, a personal contact; when it matures, it is love(cf. Hos. 6: 6f and 1 Jn. 1-3+).
“and there are other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and these I have to lead as well” (v. 16) Jerusalem Bible, footnote “h” “leads to eternal life”)
“They too will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock, and one shepherd” (v. 10). The good shepherd unites, not scatters the flock.
Jesus the Chief Shepherd
“When the chief shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of glory” (1 Pet. 5: 4).
Gill “By chief shepherd is meant Christ, who may well be called, since he is God’s fellow and in all respects equal to Him and is the shepherd and Bishop of the souls of men; all other bishops, pastors and elders are under him. They received their commission from him to feed his lambs and sheep, are made pastors and overseers by him and accountable to him for them” (John Gill’s “Exposition”, biblehub.com).
Chief shepherdmean “Prince of pastors” (Barnes, biblehub.com)
Jesus the Great shepherd
“I pray that the God of peace, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead to become the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood that sealed an eternal covenant, may make you ready to do his will in any kind of good action…” (Hebrews 13: 20).
Jesus is the Son of God made man for our salvation. He is Lord and Savior.
John Gill’s exposition: Jesus is “God’s fellow, equal to Him, having a flock of immortal souls, has abilities to feed them…a perfect knowledge of them; all power to protect and defend them; a fullness of grace to supply them; and he takes a diligent care of them; and this great person so described was raised from the dead” (biblestudytools, “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible/Hebrew”).
Henry Matthew writes “ministers are under-shepherds. Christ is the great Shepherd. He feeds them, leads them and watches over them” (bibletools.com).
Our responses
- We listen to Jesus Christ.
- We follow Him. He will lead us to everlasting happiness.
Back to: 2017 Communications from the Bishop