Tended Sheep

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness…. Psalm 23:1-3

We are all familiar with the parable of the lost sheep where the shepherd searched diligently for the one lost sheep. Over the years I have come to think we miss something about the shepherd. Yes, he searches out the lost, but does he stand idly by twiddling his thumbs, waiting for one of those stupid sheep to get lost? NO!!

The familiar Psalm 23 which we all love holds some vital clues about the ‘Good Shepherd’. His time is mostly spent looking after the sheep he has in the fold. The ones which are not lost. He values them. Read the verses over again, because this is not a Shepherd who idly waits for one to go missing. He is actively making sure each one feels worth His attention, and valued. He IS the shepherd after all, so would we expect any less?

Church leaders and pastors, by definition are ‘shepherds’, and as such have a responsibility to tend (I love that word of caring) the sheep which are faithful and remain within the fold. While we remember the one that strayed, keep in mind the other ninety-nine which were secure in the pen. So, where is the bulk of the shepherd’s time spent, if not on the ones which already are safe? It is down to the tending of the Good Shepherd that more are not lost, and similarly it is the driving force and heart of our earthly Pastors who help the sheep that need his attention. So, what else is in the Good Shepherd’s mind? Nothing! Just the wellbeing of the sheep that already are His.

There are too many ways to mention where a Pastor can help his flock, but they all come down to one characteristic. Like the Good Shepherd, he must care for all his flock, to the exclusion of all else.