Tending sheep

 

This Sunday I was excited to hear a pastor from Kenya speak.  He preached on Jesus’s appointment of Peter to feed and care for his sheep.  

 

15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."

 

16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."

 

17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.


18 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go."  19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!" (Joh 21:15-19 NAS)

  

As he preached and talked about shepherding sheep, my mind immediately went to the passage I’d been reading that morning.  Have you ever read something so many times but then one day you read it with new eyes?  That’s what happened to me.  I know I’ve read this verse many times before but Sunday as I read the passage it stood out in a different way.  Normally I read through the chapter thinking about the journey Israel and his sons took to Egypt.

33 "And it shall come about when Pharaoh calls you and says, 'What is your occupation?'

34 that you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians."

Genesis 46:33-34 NAS

I started wondering why shepherds would be so loathsome to the Egyptians.  It may not be the most glorious job… but loathsome?  That seems rather harsh.   

 

By declaring their occupation as shepherds though and not hiding from who they were called to be, the Israelites were set apart from the Egyptians.  

 

We are cared for by The Good Shepherd and just as He called the Israelites to be set apart, He also calls us to be holy and set apart.  We are to be different.  

 

Peter was told to be a shepherd to Christ’s sheep.  He was restored in his relationship with Christ, but at the same time forewarned of his death.  Here on earth his job was not going to be glorious, but loathsome.  As Christians we must choose to follow the Good Shepherd.  We are not to follow the crowd, but Christ. What was it that made the early Christians stand out apart from the crowd?  It was their love for one another.  Are we known today for our deep love?  Can we claim the love described in 1 Corinthians?  

 

I could feel the Holy Spirit moving through the service and wondered what it would be like if in all cities and all communities we came together as one flock in worship.  I understand why many of the congregations meet separately in the church building.  Some people feel closer to God with more traditional worship styles, others are drawn in by contemporary worship.  There are times I want to soak in the teaching in a language I understand and sing praises in my native tongue and a style I'm used to, but today… today coming together as one flock gave me such hope.  We must demonstrate our love for Christ by loving His sheep.  We must be set apart from the world and clearly known by our deep love.  

 

In the midst of such darkness this week, I felt such light and hope shining through! 

 

9  After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;    10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Revelation 7:9-10 NAS

Every nation... crying out to God
 
Do you love me?    Tend my lambs.

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