TEXT: JOHN 10:11-13
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his
life for the Sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the Sheep. So when
he sees the Wolf coming, he abandons the Sheep and runs away. Then the Wolf attacks
the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and
cares nothing for the Sheep.”
A shepherd is a person
who takes care of Sheep, he takes Sheep to eat, drink, keep them away from
danger and guide them lest they go astray. In summary, a shepherd protects
guides and nurtures his flock.
Jesus Christ called his
followers sheep and he refer to himself as the good shepherd. As believers are sheep in God’s vineyard; they need
shepherds to protect, guide and nurture in the way of the Lord. The shepherds
are the pastors that God has given the mandate to protect, guide and nurture
His people. Jesus was able to say confidently that “I am a good shepherd” unfortunately, most of the pastors that are
supposed to be shepherds to their flock are nothing but hired hands! They care
nothing for the Sheep, they leave their Sheep to danger, and they abandon their
Sheep in time of trouble and need. They abandon their Sheep because they are
not genuinely interested in them, but the benefits they would enjoy as pastors.
Jesus outlined the
difference between a good shepherd and the hired hand in our text: A good
shepherd lays his life for the Sheep; this is because he is the real owner of
the flock, and therefore whatever affects the Sheep will affect the shepherd. On
the other hand a hired hand is being hired to watch over the Sheep, and he gets
paid at the end of the day for tending the Sheep.
The hired hands
nurtures the Sheep not because he loves them or because he does not want evil
to happen to them, he nurtures them because of the benefit accrued to watching
over them which is the wages he would be paid at the end of the day. Hired hand’s
interest is not on the safety and well-being of the Sheep but his wages. You cannot
lay your life for somebody you do not love that is why a hired hand would run
away when there is danger in the midst of the flock.
Many of the so called
shepherds or pastors have no genuine interest in their congregation, but so far
you are still useful to them in one way or the other, they would relate with
you. As soon as your services or act of kindness to them and their ministry
ceases; you will be left and abandoned! This is not Christ like, because it is
not written anywhere that Jesus used and dumped anybody. This type of trait
CANNOT be seen in a good shepherd but in a hired hand.
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