Laying slightly propped by rocks is a teen-aged lad with a single wheat stem in his mouth. At his feet is a small shepherd's bag and leaning against the rocks behind him is his staff. As the sun is at its zenith, he grows a bit tired from the heat. After all, he didn't sleep well the night before with the howling of wolves not too far away from where the sheep were penned up. Attempting to rub out the tiredness from his eyes for a moment, he keeps his ears tuned to anything that didn't sound ordinary like birds singing and bugs making their noises. And for a brief moment he drifted off from what he thought was a bad dream. He stirred when he heard a noise that he originally thought was in his dream but it was no dream. Something was lurking. It is the sound of an animal coming nearby. He grabs his staff and bag to prepare to fight off anything. He scans the tops of the grass for any unusual movement with his ears on high alert to help detect the direction of the sound and if it is getting closer.
The life of a shepherd was not a glamorous position. It was hot, dirty, often involved meals at night after all the work was done, and outside of fellow laborers it was a very lonely occupation. If one wanted to be married and raise children and desired to be active with them, shepherding would not be the career choice with times of weeks and months away from home. And through it all, it was an occupation that one either hated it and easily walked away OR one loved it and fathered that flock as if each one was their child.
It is these special people whom Heaven chose to be part of annunciation of Christ come to earth. And eventually John's gospel picks up steam in John 10 with considerable emphasis of this understanding of a shepherd by Jesus (the Good Shepherd). In those days if the flock were not tucked away in caves or high cliff walls, sheep pens were often two disjointed hemispheres with rocks or tough barrier at one side and a wooden beam or an opening just big enough for a man to lay across as a gate. Hence why Jesus forewarned that thieves and robbers don't enter through the gate (by way of the shepherd) but climb over walls where the shepherd then has to decide: stay at my post and the sheep won’t run out from the pen and only lose a few or run across the pen to get after the thieves ripping off the flock and risk losing the rest of the flock to save the one being stolen (co-laborers would sure help to make this choice easier). And whether these thieves were people or hungry predators with large teeth, it is then the heart of the shepherd is revealed. As John's gospel continues in chapter 10 hirelings don't care anything for the sheep while the shepherd lay down their lives for the sheep.
Why the concern? It's just dumb sheep! Proverbs 27:23-27 challenges and reminds the shepherd to not be lazy or casual with their occupation (or calling). They are to know the state of their flock (v 23) which means to know their health and condition. Verses 24-25 reveal that plants—gardens or fields—are completely dependent upon the weather—rain, wind, hail, snow, and sun—while caring for livestock can survive (if properly cared for) throughout any condition of the weather. It's like having a guaranteed paycheck at every interval for the same amount (minimum). And whether for yourself or for customers, the animals are completely usable (v 26): clothing, food, and can be bartered as legal tender/currency. Not only that (v 27) there is a personal blessing and benefit. In other words, it is a win-win for everyone. The better the shepherd cares for his flock, the more money he makes and has more food/milk for himself and family. Sheep multiply so keeping your flock healthy (v 23) means babies which will grow which naturally means the mother give milk. Sheep are multi-purpose or multi-benefit animals. So it isn't just "dumb sheep".
I preface all the above to now swing to a spiritual understanding of the role of the shepherd (the pastor) and hirelings. There are two camps for understanding who is the hireling and both are equally applicable. One view of the hireling are what the late Wayman Mitchell called the hobby pastor. These are the men who like being called pastor and like having the role for attention. They like pretending to care by preparing sermons. And albeit it is understandable that not everyone can financially be a full time pastor right out the gate, but it should never be after years of ministry to still be a part time pastor and part/full time employee of whatever secular job. And after time of this tightrope walk, these men get burned, tired, worn, frustrated, and then make decisions. (Regrettably in my opinion decisions that should had been made long ago prior as a disciple in their church and not after leading and maybe beating whatever flock that God provides.) Regrettable thoughts of "is this really what I wanted to do" or "I'm expected to give more than I had initially bargained or signed up for" fill this pastor and wife’s head (along perhaps other things). A pastor is a noble and (in my opinion) the highest call. But I personally take Hebrews 13:17 to heart because it is a fearful calling to be a pastor; not a Calling on a whim, pride/ego, or “conference hype”.
The other camp of a hireling are people hired to the position. It was never authentically and continually/perpetually a Calling. It is an occupation. And whether by the desire of fame, money, or whatever, these are people constantly pumping up their egos with ministries, books, conferences, etc. with him a star. And when this leader is gone due to his passing away, set down due to failure, or quitting/retiring because they've had enough, their church and all that was built crumble or gets destroyed and eventually a memory that fades away. And all that results are lot of lost and damaged sheep in the process…and a bad testimony of what real Christians are supposed to be. Ask any very new preacher about the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, and without the aid of Google they most likely couldn't tell you what it was about or why it failed. But what does it matter to them? It's all about them (the preacher) and his ministry. People only attend the services because of association or the promise of a spectacular event/sermon. Or other personal gains can be the motivation if the member is a salesman. And unless a crime was committed, most people can do pretty much whatever they want and say pretty much whatever they want as long as the money keeps coming, people keep coming, and the church isn't on the front page for a scandal.
Regardless of the camp, Jesus dismissed the hireling with a wave of a hand because it is the Call of the shepherd that reveals the heart of God. But what of it? How is it that someone is Called at a conference but not Called when it is time to put up or shut up? Someone is Called at a revival, church service, or through prayer but then walk away for another woman to leave his wife and kids (and church) to sort out the mess? Someone is Called but for the sake of compromise or the three N's is willing to water down the gospel to a point that church isn't about feeding the flock the Word but feeding anecdotal stories and maybe a scripture or two to sound biblical. Vague mentions of a book or chapter in the Bible to support a thought rather than the sermon based on a scripture.
And I do understand the balancing act for pastors who have to pastor (sermon prep, visiting people, outreach, praying, reading, etc.) and work a job along with having to be husband and father along the way. (By the way man or woman who likes to criticize the sermons preached, you try to wear all those hats and attempt to balance it all week after week after year after year and see how well your sermons do and advice during counseling sounds.) But oftentimes we make this Calling harder than it ought to be. We get fancy or desire for the "wow" while a very seasoned pastor chuckled and advised a new pastor, "just preach Jesus".
So let us go back to our young lad. He lays across the gate (John 10:1-2). His job is to protect the flock against false doctrine and those who want to rip off the flock. It isn't just the Jezebel or religious nut that does that by visiting the church. It is the buzz of wanting to fill time by listening to as many preachers as possible so we don't fill our time like we used to with television, sinful music, or other things. It is also the things we come in with as I like to call baggage which are our beliefs and expectations for what we want out of a church we are visiting or a preacher we desire to listen to. A good shepherd will discern through the Holy Spirit how to target things properly (and that includes lovingly and not through rules). The sheep (congregation) hear his voice (John 10:3-5) which means that he preaches not just behind the pulpit or the lead chair at a bible study but through his life (this includes his wife's role as example). Jesus just didn't teach and preach in the synagogues; He spent more time on the sides of the road, by a shore, or on mountains. This is the investment of time (congregant with the pastor (and/or wife) and vice versa). Is the message simple which is the gospel of salvation (John 10:9-10) which feeds the congregation or are the messages ones of criticisms, cut downs, "issue sermons", comments about others, and scriptures attacking people who are not even attending the church anymore? (Not too many people would like being the target of many of the sermons preached.)
But the other trait of the shepherd is said over and over again and this is where a lot of men jump: to lay down their life for the sheep. It is more than be willing to take a bullet if someone comes in wielding a gun. This means sacrifice of personal life. This means sometimes lack of sleep. This means being vigilant. This means consecration of life. This means that the Will of God is more important than anyone or anything else. True, a man cannot fulfill a Call without a wife, but a Call cannot be fulfilled by a man if he chooses any wife to meet carnal needs over spiritual needs rather than a woman who also is Called to be a pastor/missionary wife. And for the married shepherd—like the Apostle Peter was and others—this means being careful who we are married to that she not only wants to be a blessing and not a hinderance but embraces the Calling for herself, even if it is not behind a pulpit. But back to this trait, how disappointing is it that men who were Called, who stepped onto a stage, hands laid, granted opportunity, and then to walk away ignoring Hebrews 13:17 for something else, let alone the higher purpose: 2 Corinthians 11:28? How disappointing to have a desire to teach/preach and when granted that opportunity to within not much time later abandon the flock without heart checking our true motive, and better yet before lots of money and prayers were given?
Perhaps what that young lad needed in my story and what all shepherds need is a reminder of Luke 2:8-18. And by that knowledge and strength coupled with not just knowing of why Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6) but in His resurrection, we share in that power over sin (hope) and death (everlasting life). Shepherd: What is your voice? Perhaps, like Peter had in John 21:15-17, we ought to have a careful meeting with Jesus with Him asking, [insert your name here], do you love Me more than _____ (list of whatever it is that makes or would make us walk away from our Calling (if we had one to begin with))? If our answer will be in the affirmative, will Jesus snap back Tend/Feed your sheep? We need to shepherd the flocks God grants us with love, care, and concern.