Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
When you hear the word “Shepherd” what picture comes into your mind? A lush green meadow with fat wooly sheep and a content shepherd sitting in the shade of a tree watching his flock with delight? Or maybe a flock of sheep walking with their shepherd as he leads them up a hillside to the fresh cool water of a mountain stream being fed by melting snow higher up? Or maybe a shepherd with weapons drawn frantically trying to fend off an attack from a hungry prowling predator? Shepherd… Sadly most people have rarely seen one, certainly not in the big cities of our world.
But wait, look again at the cities, do you see them, shepherds in the asphalt jungles?
Parents and grandparents and pastors and police and teachers and school administrators trying to protect their kids from predators: the gang down the street or the bully at school or the drug dealer in the city park or sex trafficker driving slowly by or the internet predator on social media or gaming or porn? And what about shepherds protecting our older folks from scams or dishonest medical people or house repairs or salespeople of all types calling at all hours of the day and night?
Shepherds… who are they and how effective are they where you live? And who are the people being helped and who are the predators being repulsed? Once again Peter rolls out his parchment and picks up his stylus to continue writing this first letter to his dear Christian friends across the Roman empire in the first century. Today the words Peter writes are directed at Shepherds! “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Jesus Christ’s sufferings, who also will share in the glory to be revealed. Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them, not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be…” (1 Peter 5:1,2) The word Peter chooses here, ‘elders’ is very familiar to his audience, both Jewish and Gentile Christians. “Elders“ were the older folks in every family, respected and cared for by the rest of the family in their old age. Nursing homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Full life care facilities did not exist in Peter’s day.
As people aged, the younger generations counted it their privilege to honor their parents and grandparents by having them live with them to care for them 24/7. They did so with a great sense of anticipation of mutual benefit. The older ones cared for the little ones as parents worked hard every day just to survive. Nothing was easy. No running water or electricity or gas in homes meant cooking meals was a long, difficult process. Making and mending and washing clothes was a big challenge for most people.
But the ‘elders’ in each family were valued far more for their wisdom gained through life than their childcare or other services. With no television or radio, evenings were spent with younger generations listening to gain wisdom from the older generations, especially spiritual wisdom.
But in Peter’s day ‘elders’ were also wise, older, successful people in business or especially in spiritual and religious life. Deeply rooted in Jewish culture was the long-standing tradition of religious storytelling. Israel’s history was beloved by the Jewish people of Peter’s day. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Ruth and Naomi, David, Solomon, the kings, the prophets, Nehemiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel...night after night these stories became their treasured heritage.
But then for the Jewish Christians, the added stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary, Gabriel the angel, and of course Bethlehem and the shepherds, the magi, King Herod’s paranoia and outrage. And then the stories of Peter and others who had known Jesus personally, had spent those many months with Him, had been with Him that world changing Passover weekend with both death and resurrection!
As clusters of Christians grew up all across the Roman empire, and the apostles traveled to encourage and teach them, the wisest men among them would be selected as the spiritual leaders. Usually, but not always, they were the older men. Both Paul and Peter called these men ‘elders‘ and commissioned them to a high and holy calling of being ‘shepherds‘ for God’s people in their cities. Peter’s words are so very appropriate for the ‘shepherds‘ of our day all over the world, so let’s take a closer look.Peter uses some important and careful language to help both the ‘elder/shepherds’ and the Christians, God’s flock, to understand the role of these ‘elder/shepherds’. “…watching over them…” are strong words. David was perhaps the most famous of all the shepherds of those Hebrew stories. His Psalm 23 was beloved, as was the story of his killing of the giant Goliath when as a young shepherd boy David visited his older soldier brothers at the battle and heard the taunts of giant Goliath. King Saul, you’ll recall, had been skeptical that David could face this seasoned warrior giant.
David’s response set a standard for all elders in Peter’s day: “I have been keeping my father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I struck it and killed it. This Philistine giant will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this giant.” (1 Samuel 17:34)
Now these words were not received as license for the ‘elder/shepherds’ of Peter’s day to take up weapons and kill Roman soldiers or religious leaders who were persecuting Christians. Rather, these words encouraged both the people and the elders to understand that their primary role was SHEPHERD and as such they should ‘watch over’ the people being alert to recognize anything or anyone who would frighten them, threaten them, or attack them.
Good shepherds loved their sheep and knew their sheep well and could easily tell when the sheep were NOT peaceful. Good shepherds knew their sheep well enough that they knew what they could and should do to calm frightened sheep or provide what the sheep needed but especially to protect the sheep. These ‘elder/shepherds’ were not armed with spears or bows and arrows, for the real battle was not against Roman soldiers or those persecuting them, the real battle was against the enemy of Jesus, the enemy of their salvation, Satan himself.
In fact about this same time Paul was writing the Christians in Ephesus and he wrote: “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph. 6:12) First century Christians understood this very well, do we? We’ll look at this more closely tomorrow. For today, may I urge you to ponder these questions:
1. Who have been ‘elders’ in your life thus far who have helped you gain wisdom and guidance in your life? Where did they gain their wisdom?
2. For whom have you been an ‘elder’, someone who has poured into others the God given wisdom you’ve gained in your life?
3. If you are part of a church, no matter where in the world, do you see ‘elder/shepherds’ caring for the flock? Are they watching over the people of your church, and will they recognize the enemy before the attack tears into your church?
Now let’s ponder what Peter has written and I’ll join you right back here tomorrow as we dig deeper. Here’s a comforting song that I hope will encourage you to know that Jesus is our Good shepherd, watching over you and me!…
Today’s Scripture is 1 Peter 5:1-2.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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