Morning Musings-Shepherds

   Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...




Peter could have pulled rank; after all, he was one of the twelve apostles.  He was one who actually spent three year's worth of constant time in Jesus's presence on earth.  He was one who had heard Jesus's teachings first hand; experienced the miracles, and was a recipient of Jesus's care and concern.  He was one of the 'founding fathers', you might say, of the Christian community after Jesus's ascension back to Heaven and after the Holy Spirit's awesome indwelling of believers.  He was there, 'as it happened'!  He could have pulled rank, but he didn't.

Look at his gracious, humble words in 1 Peter 5:1-4, "I appeal as a fellow elder..."  He puts himself on par with all the other elders he's addressing.  He does so in humble meekness.  He appeals to the elders as a "fellow elder' as a witness of Christ's sufferings;" as "one who also shares in the glory to be revealed".  They were all experiencing those things (except most may not have actually seen Christ's sufferings) but were experiencing their own and by so doing entering into Christ's.  Peter was not trying to control the elders, rather to encourage and teach them so they could be effective in their roles and responsibilities with others.

The apostle Paul instructed Timothy and Titus similarly which you can check out for yourselves in 1 Timothy 3 and 5, and Titus 1:5-9; 2:1-15; 3. Peter is saying similar things about the elders' 'job description' yet gives an even more pictorial example for the duties entrusted to them.  They were to see themselves as "shepherds".  

What is the connotation of a shepherd's duty?  Feed and water the flock of sheep, protect them from harm, leading the strays back to the fold; tending the sick ones and to "skin them alive" (shear) them once in a while when they needed correction and exhortation, in a gentle manner knowing that they themselves could be caught in a sin too (Galatians 6:1).

If you'll recall some of Jesus's last conversation with Peter during breakfast on the shore.  Jesus told Peter three times, "Feed my lambs"; "Take care of my sheep;" and "Feed my sheep"  (John 21:15, 16, 17).  Three times, and Peter took Jesus seriously.  He is now passing this on to the next generation whom he addresses as "fellow elders".

I believe that Peter has been keeping Jesus's other words in mind as well; that is, that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and knows His sheep and the sheep know His voice (John 10:1-18).  Peter makes mention of the "Chief Shepherd" (vs 4).

In John 21, Peter told Jesus three times he loved Him.  That's when Jesus gave him the injunctions to feed the lambs and sheep.  Out of Peter's love for Jesus and Jesus's love and care for Peter, Peter developed into a caring and good shepherd himself.

I don't know about you but as I read and ponder on these four verses, I feel that Peter really did love those to whom he wrote and they reciprocated (well, there are almost always some who won't) and furthermore accentuated by his gracious words and tone of imparting his injunctions to those "fellow", yet younger, elders.  Can you 'feel' it?

You never know, my sons, some day you may be elders among God's people.  Love them, feed them, care for them as Peter did and as Paul entreated Timothy and Titus to teach the elders under their care.  Sheep have tendencies for wandering and straying apparently but dealing gently and firmly seems to be a key as well as genuine love.  

Another key can be seen in verse 2.  "Looking after God's flock" should be "because you are willing."    Forced into the eldership and role of a shepherd because you were obliged since "no one else" wanted to, is wrong motivation.  Out of love for Jesus and our relationship with God and wanting to serve Him out of gratitude and thankfulness to Him, the shepherding would be a sincere, "willing" outpouring from the heart.

This willingness from the heart filled with gratitude for God will preclude the motivation to the shepherd role out of "greed for money and/or power" (vs 2, 3).  So the person would not be in the role for getting rich nor for "lording it over the sheep". 

On the contrary, they will have to be role models of good Christian living and when they do so they gain a "crown of glory that will never fade" (vs 4).  Money and power fade--get lost in economic downturns or to new favorite persons.  God's rewards are everlasting.

The "glory to be revealed" (vs 1) and this "crown of glory" (vs 4) may seem rather abstract.  I'm not sure exactly to what the reward/crown refers but they do put me in mind of Jesus on his throne and judging our works whether they be of "wood, hay, stubble, silver or gold" (1 Corinthians 3:12).  We are also told to "lay up treasure in heaven"  (Matthew 6:19-21).  Being good examples of Christ-likeness and in service to Jesus, will again, earn us lasting rewards.  Let it be noted this crown and reward are not that we earned it for salvation.  We can never work for our salvation.  Jesus has already paid the debt and earned our salvation for us.  No, these are rewards for service for Him after our coming to Christ.

These rewards also hint to me, that an elder's or any other Christian's, for that matter,  reward is Christ-likeness; maturity and completeness in Christ; being full of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, goodness, etc).  As we are so, we become more "holy as God is holy" and enter more and more into a closer, trusting relationship with Almighty God Himself.  This indeed is "glory" and "reward".

If you chronicle Peter's life from when we first meet his impulsive self and through the three years walking the roads with Jesus; then his effective gospel preaching (even without microphones) in the book of Acts and made mention of by Paul of having to admonish Peter openly, and now here in 1 Peter 5, can you see progression of faith, character and relationship with God and people?  This is the faith to follow and pass on.  

Sons, elders, and would be elders out there, I pray that you too will be a "fellow elder" with Peter, being good shepherds as Jesus Christ, our Chief Shepherd and supreme example, was and still is.  May the grace of God be with you all in abundance.

                                                                      ~ERC  2016~