To the elders among you, I appeal as a
fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in
the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is
under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are
willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the
flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the
crown of glory that will never fade away.
(1 Peter 5:1-4)
The Good Shepherd has provided for his sheep, undershepherds,
to care for them, feed them, and guide them with the Word. Pastors, elders, council, boards, committees,
teachers, whatever forms of ministry we have leading our flock, they are given
encouraging reminders here in our lesson of the great trust they have been
given, and how they are to carry out their work in the stead of the Good
Shepherd.
Does Peter make the role of an undershepherd sound like a
daunting task? Seemingly, yes. Our sinful nature will find any excuse not to
serve with the proper motivation and attitude.
But with the example of the Good Shepherd himself, the task of
undershepherd is not daunting at all.
Consider the model he set forth for serving as he walked on this earth,
a model of humble, willing, selfless service.
Peter is asking our leaders to live out a love and care for us that is
nothing other than what our Good Shepherd has already been for them and for us.
These words to the undershepherds also bring to you, the
flock, great encouragement, as we see how our Good Shepherd is with us, and how
he provides for all of our needs. You
are flock well-cared in this life by those whom the Good Shepherd has chosen to
feed and guide you, as they seek to serve you in the love and service of
Christ. Through the love of his chosen
shepherds, we see the love of our Good Shepherd!
But remember
to whom you ultimately belong. You
belong to the Good Shepherd. You are “God’s
flock”! This flock was purchased
with the blood of the Good Shepherd himself.
As we heard in our Gospel lesson this past Sunday from John 10, the Good
Shepherd laid down his life for his sheep.
He gave up everything to save his sheep, to bring them to himself.
And this is where motivation of both undershepherd and sheep
is found. Sheep follow because their
Savior from sin and death has gone ahead first.
Undershepherds lead because their Savior from sin and death has shown
them how to lead. And the goal of the
undershepherds is to simply lead the sheep to see their Good Shepherd, to
remind them who they belong to and the love he has for them. The undershepherds lead the flock to the foot
of the cross, to see where the Shepherd became the Lamb, the perfect Lamb who
was the perfect sacrifice for the flock which is full of blemishes and
defects. The undershepherds lead the
flock to the empty tomb of the Good Shepherd, to see his triumph over death and
the assurance of the springs of living water in eternal life, where he will sit
as the Lamb at the center of the throne.
The undershepherds lead the flock to the Word to find that even in the
earthly struggles, pressures and sufferings; the Good Shepherd leads his
sheep. Through the dark valleys of this
life we hear the voice of our Good Shepherd proclaimed through the Word.
And our Good Shepherd has a purpose in mind. His chosen undershepherds lead his flock through
this valley. And when the shadow of
death of that valley has been eclipsed by the light our Good Shepherd’s
reappearance, Peter writes, “you will receive the crown of glory that
will never fade away.” To those who guided the flock, the unfading crown
of glory will be graciously given. To
the flock, that same crown of glory will also be awarded. It’s not a reward for faithful service or
faithful following, but a reward of grace.
It is only by the bearer of the crown of thorns that the crown of glory
is ours. It’s his plan, his goal and his
free eternal gift of grace to you as his precious flock.
The flock of the Good Shepherd is well-cared for, no matter
what this life may hold. We belong to
the Good Shepherd, and he will lead us home!
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