Traditional shepherding in the Holy Land and surrounding countries is very different from the practice of shepherding in the UK. One obvious difference is that the Middle Eastern shepherd leads his sheep, whereas shepherds in this country drive them, often aided by a dog or two.

Even here, though, it is possible to observe the way sheep will recognise and follow the voice of the person who cares for them. In any sizeable flock at lambing time there will be lambs needing human care; orphans, weak and injured ones, those whose mothers do not have enough milk. Hand reared lambs soon learn who it is that regularly brings them theirbottle and will come running at the sound of their voice. Like Mary’s little lamb in the nursery rhyme, they will follow that person everywhere.

In the Gospel according to St John, chapter 10, we read how Jesus described Himself as The Good Shepherd. In so doing, He was contrasting Himself with the kings in the Old Testament whom the prophets condemned as bad shepherds, only interested in themselves and with no concern for the welfare of their subjects. What was more, He was declaring Himself to be the fulfilment of the prophecies that God Himself would come to take care of His people, the sheep of His pasture.

The Good Shepherd, said Jesus, lays down His life for the sheep. That is the reason He came into our world, born in Bethlehem so that He might die on Calvary. “I have come,” He said, “in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness.” He came to die our death so that we might live His life.

“My sheep,” He declared, “listen to my voice; I know them and they know me. I give them eternal life. And they shall never die.” May we hear and recognise His voice, and follow where He leads us, trusting in His promises and His unfailing love.

A prayer:

Loving Shepherd of thy sheep, Keep thy lamb in safety, keep. Nothing can thy power withstand, None can pluck me from thy hand.

Loving Saviour, thou didst give Thine own self that we might live; And the hands outstretched to bless Bear the cruel nails’ impress.

I would praise thee every day, Gladly all thy will obey;
Like thy blessed ones above, Happy in thy perfect love.

Loving Shepherd, ever near,
Teach thy lamb thy voice to hear. Suffer not my steps to stray
From the straight and narrow way.

Where thou leadest I would go, Walking in thy steps below;
Till before my Father’s throne
I shall know as I am known. AMEN

(Jane Elizabeth Leeson, 1807 – 1882)

– Rev John Barnett
Image: Shepherd in Jordan (photo: Pete Wildman)

As we have seen over the past weeks, shepherds played an important part in the history of the people of Israel. Nevertheless, they were not regarded very highly in Judaea at the time of the birth of Jesus. Because they were often away from home tending their flocks, they found it difficult to keep all the requirements of the Jewish Law about ritual washing, correct food preparation and so on. What is more, without the showers and instant hot water that we take for granted these days, they would have been rather smelly. Anyone who has ever handled sheep will know that their aroma tends to linger!

A group of shepherds, however, were granted the privilege of hearing the message of the angels that the promised Saviour had been born. They were the first visitors to the new- born King. And where did they find Him? It was in Bethlehem, the birthplace of David, the shepherd who became a king.

To many folk it may seem strange that such humble men were chosen by God to welcome the royal arrival. In the Bible we read again and again of God calling apparently unlikely people to do His work. As the Beatitudes remind us, God’s blessed ones are often very different from those who attract the admiration and applause of the world.

A prayer:

To shepherds, watching their sheep through the long, dark night, He comes with the glory of the angels’ song and in the humility of the manger.

Loving God, we pray for our community…

In the midst of our everyday lives, surprise us with glimpses of the glorious, humble love at the heart of existence. AMEN

(From the Methodist Worship Book, Holy Communion for Christmas and Epiphany)

– Rev John Barnett
Image: shepherds near Nazareth, 2011 (photo from Canadian Mennonites website).

As shepherds played such an important part in Israel’s history from the very beginning, it is not surprising that we find many references to sheep and shepherds in the words of the Old Testament prophets. Several of them speak of the kings of Israel and Judah who have been bad shepherds to their people.

One notable chapter is Ezekiel 34, where God declares, “My shepherds did not try to find the sheep. They were taking care of themselves and not the sheep. So listen to me, you shepherds. I, the Sovereign LORD, declare that I am your enemy. I will take my sheep away from you and never again let you be their shepherds; never again will I let you take care only of yourselves.” These prophesies were fulfilled when Israel and Judah were conquered and many of their people taken into captivity.

The prophecy continues, “I, the Sovereign LORD, tell you that I myself will look for my sheep and take care of them in the same way that a shepherd takes care of his sheep that were scattered and brought together again… I will look for those that are lost, bring back those that wander off, bandage those that are hurt, and heal those that are sick; but those that are fat and strong I will destroy, because I am a shepherd who does what is right.” So not only the bad shepherds are condemned, but also bad sheep! These are not kings, but other people who do nothing to help their needy fellow men and women, and who prosper at their expense.

The image of God Himself coming as a shepherd to the sheep, gathering them together and tending those that are weak, also appears in the book of the Prophet Isaiah. The Good News Bible translates beautifully Isaiah 40, verses 10 and 11: “The Sovereign LORD is coming to rule with power, bringing with Him the people He has rescued. He will take care of His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs together and carry them in His arms; He will gently lead their mothers.”

Isaiah’s words are often read in church services during Advent. This is because Christians believe they have been fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, the Good Shepherd and Saviour of the world.

A prayer:

Awaken us, O God, to that faith which dies unless it clothes the naked, feeds the hungry, comforts the sorrowing, shelters the destitute and binds up the broken; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

(Menno Simons, 1496-1561, quoted in the Methodist Prayer Handbook, 2020-2021)

– Rev John Barnett
Image: shepherd carrying a sheep; free photo from pixabay.com.

Like Moses, David was called from tending sheep to leading people. Both men were used mightily by God. Moses led the Israelites out of oppression in Egypt and formed them into a nation. David delivered them from the threat of the Philistines and other enemies and enabled them to establish themselves as a powerful kingdom in the Promised Land.

His accuracy with a slingshot was not the only ability David developed as a shepherd. The determination to tend his flock well and guide them to food, water and safety, coupled with the courage to defend them from marauding wild beasts, stood him in good stead when he became a ruler over people.

David was a great king who sought to follow God’s will, and his reign was richly blessed. His royal line would continue, and, in the fullness of time, the Messiah would be born among his descendants, in his home town. Nevertheless, David was still a human being, with serious flaws to his character.

In Psalm 23, however, David portrays God as a perfect Shepherd and King. The way of the Lord is always right. He can be relied upon to lead His people to safety and desires what is the very best for them. His care for them is unending.

David was using an image as old as Israel itself. In Genesis 48:15, Jacob, as he blesses his grandsons, speaks of “the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day.” It was an image that would be taken up by our Lord when He spoke of Himself as The Good Shepherd.

A prayer:

And I will trust in you alone,
and I will trust in you alone,
for your endless mercy follows me, your goodness will lead me home.

(Singing the Faith 481- Stuart Townend, b.1963)

– Rev John Barnett
Image: modern-day shepherd in the Middle East.

Whilst preparing this series of Advent meditations, I have been struck by the parallels between the story of Jacob and that of Moses. Both men had to flee for their lives; Jacob from his angry brother, Esau, and Moses from the head of his adoptive family, Pharaoh. They both met their future wives by wells, when the young women brought their father’s flocks to drink. And both of them spent time caring for the sheep belonging to their fathers- in-law.

In the Book of Exodus, chapter 3, we learn that it was while he was watching over the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, that Moses saw the burning bush that was not consumed by the flames. He went to investigate and heard the voice of God calling him to bring Jacob’s descendants, the Children of Israel, out of slavery in Egypt.

In the years that followed, as Moses led the wayward Israelites in the wilderness, I wonder how much he was influenced by his earlier experience as a shepherd. Sheep need to be led to places of safety where they can find food and water. They need to be brought back when they stray and to be rescued when they get themselves into danger. They need tending when they fall sick. All this calls for patience, compassion and commitment on the part of the shepherd, virtues we see clearly displayed by Moses towards the people in his charge.

God calls leaders to be shepherds; to protect, care and provide for those they serve. We need to pray for those who lead us, in our church, our nation and our world, that they may be directed by the Holy Spirit as they seek to direct others.

A prayer:

Searched for, Christ comes.

To the wise and powerful, star-led to Bethlehem, seeking a king, He comes, child of Mary, crowned with meekness, worthy of every gift.

Loving God, we pray for the leaders of the world. Guide them with your light to the true wisdom of justice and peace, of freedom and respect for every human life.

Lord, come to your people. In your mercy set us free. AMEN

(From the Methodist Worship Book, Holy Communion for Christmas and Epiphany)

– Rev John Barnett
Image: Shepherd in Jordan (photo Pete Wildman)

Shepherds feature a lot in the Bible. During Advent, I hope to focus on some of the shepherds of the Old Testament who point us forward to the coming of the Good Shepherd.

At the beginning of the first coronavirus lockdown I wrote about Jacob, a fugitive from the wrath of his brother, Esau. Alone and far from home, he dreamed of a stairway up to heaven; a sign that wherever he might wander, God would be with him. As his father, Isaac, had instructed him, he travelled on to Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), to the home of his uncle Laban. He fell in love with his cousin, Rachel, whose name means “a lamb”. Jacob agreed to work for Laban for seven years in order to be allowed to marry her. He spent much of this time caring for Laban’s flocks of sheep and goats.

Chapters 29 – 31 of the Book of Genesis tell the story of the relationship between Jacob and Laban, two cunning and scheming men trying to get the better of one another. Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his elder daughter, Leah, and then made him work another seven years as payment for marrying Rachel. Jacob got Laban’s permission to keep any blacklambs or speckled kids from the flocks for himself, but Laban then saw to it that the black and speckled sheep and goats were put into the care of his own sons and taken some distance away. Jacob nevertheless succeeded, through clever stockbreeding, in building up a large flock for himself. The ancient breed of “Jacob Sheep”, with their distinctive piebald markings, was so named because of this story.

With the collusion of his two wives, Jacob eventually escaped from Laban and returned to the land of Canaan, where he was reconciled with his brother, Esau. The night before their meeting he had another remarkable encounter with God, not with a heavenly stairway as on

his outward journey, but through a meeting with a man who wrestled with him until daybreak. Jacob was given the new name of Israel (“he struggles with God” or “God struggles”), which would in time become the name of the nation he was to found.

Not surprisingly, there was rivalry between Leah and Rachel, especially as Leah bore six sons and a daughter before Rachel became pregnant with her first son, Joseph. Both sisters in turn gave their slave-girls Bilhah and Zilpah to Jacob, so they too could bear him children on their behalf. The result was a large and dysfunctional family and a band of brothers whose jealousy even led them to sell their sibling into slavery.

In spite of all the scheming and trickery, the envy, bickering and downright wickedness, God was still working His purpose out. Rachel’s son, Joseph, would rescue the family from starvation and bring them to safety and prosperity in Egypt. Leah’s son, Judah, would become the father of the tribe within which, in the fullness of time, the Saviour of the World would be born.

A prayer:

May the strength of God pilot us, May the power of God preserve us, May the wisdom of God instruct us, May the hand of God protect us, May the way of God direct us,

May the shield of God defend us,
May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. AMEN

(St Patrick)

– Rev John Barnett
Image: modern-day shepherd in Jordan (photo: Pete Wildman)