God loves shepherds! Jesus called himself, "the good Shepherd," and the apostle Peter referred to the Lord as the "Chief Shepherd." Abel, Jacob, Moses, and David all worked as shepherds. On the night of Jesus's birth, an angel appeared to shepherds to make the glorious announcement. Though this occupation may have been looked down upon by some (cf. Genesis 46:34), God holds the work of shepherds in high esteem.
I believe it is no coincidence that the men the Lord appointed to oversee the church would be called shepherds/pastors. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11 NKJV). The verb form of this word is found in (1 Peter 5:2), Shepherd the flock of God, which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly. The shepherds of a congregation are also referred to as "elders" (1 Peter 5:1), "bishops" (Philippians 1:1), and "overseers" (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2). It is the word "shepherd" that gives us a good picture of what they do.
Jacob spoke of the non-stop work of a shepherd to his ungrateful father-in-law: There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes (Genesis 31:40). Jesus spoke of a shepherd searching the wilderness for a lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7), and of how a good shepherd would not flee when he saw a wolf coming, even laying down his life for the sheep (John 10:11-13). Needless to say, it takes a special kind of man to be a shepherd, both for literal sheep and the church, which is called "the flock of God" (1 Peter 5:2). He will sacrifice his time, comfort, sleep, energy, and so much more for their good.
How should the members of the church respond to the shepherds? And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake (1 Thessalonians 5:12,13a). To recognize means to honor them. To esteem them highly is how we are to think of them. It is sad that some members see their elders as no more than whipping boys for all that may go wrong in the congregation. That is to go against what God has said and therefore is sinful. We should see the elders/shepherds as God does. God only had one Son, and He was/is a shepherd (John 10:11; 1 Peter 5:4; Psalm 23). This is not to say that shepherds today are above censure (1 Tim. 5:19,20), but the faithful ones are not respected as they ought to be.
It is such a blessing to Christians to have served under godly men who shepherded us through life's ups and downs. To look back and remember the encouragement given, the Christ-like example offered, and the loving concern shown for our souls, is motivation for us to live faithfully, so that their labor will not be in vain. In addressing shepherds, Peter wrote, And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away (1 Peter 5:4). Oh, how shepherds "will shine forth as the sun" in heaven!
Brotherly, Jamie
