Words from the Rock
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
John 10:11–13 NLT
Jesus continues to expound on his role as the Good Shepherd. He distinguishes himself from the sort of sheepherder who’s not doing a good job—aka the hired hand. This is a guy who took the job probably as a last resort and couldn’t care less about the sheep. The hired hand probably doesn’t count the sheep at night, he certainly doesn’t know their names, and if there’s real danger (like a wolf), he will run off to protect himself and let the sheep take care of themselves. He’s only in it for the money.
Again, that was a description of many of the religious leaders of that day. Unfortunately, there are still “shepherds” like that nowadays—people in church leadership who don’t really care about the congregations they’re being paid to serve. They’re just in it for the money.
The good news is that Jesus is your Good Shepherd. Even if you should fall victim to a bad shepherd at some point in time (and most people do eventually), that is in no way a reflection on Jesus. In fact, it can simply be a reminder that there really is only one Good Shepherd, and that’s Jesus. The more you get to know your Good Shepherd, the more you’ll learn to recognize Jesus’s voice, and the better you’ll become at knowing what’s true and what’s not. You won’t be led astray by a bad shepherd.
My Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for giving me my Good Shepherd. Help me to know his voice and to respond quickly when I hear it.
Amen.
Final Word
The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.
Nahum 1:7 NLT
Stone for the Journey
I will tune my ears into the voice of my Good Shepherd.