St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

Without a shepherd?

When Jesus saw the crowds he had compassion on them, because they were harrassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field."

This was the verse (Mt 9:36-38) which spoke to me when I began my ministry in Hanford eight years ago. The bible uses the picture of the shepherd to describe the ministry of priests and prophets in the Old Testament, and overseers, elders, and servants in the New Testament. Jesus was speaking in a society which would remember the words of David (Ps 23), Ezekiel (ch 34) and many others in their scriptures, as well as to people who knew all about shepherds and their work. Nowadays we find it difficult to imagine, as we only know shepherds through TV and imagination.

The shepherd in the bible is someone who knows all the sheep individually. He has to guide them across the scrub land to new grazing, because left to themselves they will exhaust the grass in a couple of days. He has to keep track of them all, because they have a tendency to wander off and get scattered. Without the shepherd the sheep quickly get into a sorry state - “helpless” is no understatement in the bible.

And you might think that Jesus particularly means that his disciples are to pray for God to raise up new vicars to care for his flock. Especially since the New Testament words “overseer, elder and servant” have been used by the church as labels for the clergy - “bishop, priest and deacon”.

But the truth is: it’s not about vicars! This is what it’s about:

(1) Jesus himself is the shepherd. He says so plainly in John 10:10. He points out in lots of other passages of scripture that the comfort and help we need is to be found in having a close personal relationship with him.

(2) Jesus wants to appoint “under-shepherds” - other people to take care of the sheep. People like Peter (in John 21:15-17), but many others (e.g. Mark 5:19-20). Today that means not just clergy but lots of others in his church.

(3) Jesus has a heart for the lost sheep. We tend to worry about churchgoers, but Jesus’ vision is wider. That’s why Jesus goes on to send out the twelve on a mission, and to conclude his gospel with a command to all his followers to go and make disciples of all nations. Do we see the big field too?

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. June 2000, Page 2.
Home Page. Index of articles. Vicar's Letters: index, "Starter for ten", Shepherd, Visiting. In this issue: (June 2000) New Vicar, Shepherd, Question, C of E Finances.	Without a shepherd? When Jesus saw the crowds he had compassion on them, because they were harrassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field." This was the verse (Mt 9:36-38) which spoke to me when I began my ministry in Hanford eight years ago. The bible uses the picture of the shepherd to describe the ministry of priests and prophets in the Old Testament, and overseers, elders, and servants in the New Testament. Jesus was speaking in a society which would remember the words of David (Ps 23), Ezekiel (ch 34) and many others in their scriptures, as well as to people who knew all about shepherds and their work. Nowadays we find it difficult to imagine, as we only know shepherds through TV and imagination. The shepherd in the bible is someone who knows all the sheep individually. He has to guide them across the scrub land to new grazing, because left to themselves they will exhaust the grass in a couple of days. He has to keep track of them all, because they have a tendency to wander off and get scattered. Without the shepherd the sheep quickly get into a sorry state - “helpless” is no understatement in the bible. And you might think that Jesus particularly means that his disciples are to pray for God to raise up new vicars to care for his flock. Especially since the New Testament words “overseer, elder and servant” have been used by the church as labels for the clergy - “bishop, priest and deacon”. But the truth is: it’s not about vicars! This is what it’s about: (1) Jesus himself is the shepherd. He says so plainly in John 10:10. He points out in lots of other passages of scripture that the comfort and help we need is to be found in having a close personal relationship with him. (2) Jesus wants to appoint “under-shepherds” - other people to take care of the sheep. People like Peter (in John 21:15-17), but many others (e.g. Mark 5:19-20). Today that means not just clergy but lots of others in his church. (3) Jesus has a heart for the lost sheep. We tend to worry about churchgoers, but Jesus’ vision is wider. That’s why Jesus goes on to send out the twelve on a mission, and to conclude his gospel with a command to all his followers to go and make disciples of all nations. Do we see the big field too? John Hartley
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