Be A Good Shepherd

There have been untold numbers of sermons about the Good Shepherd and I have heard more than one during my life. Of the hundreds of informative, inspiring or instructive stories in the Bible this is one of my personal favorites for many reasons. I personally find it a parable about devotion to duty and love.

We all have many different relationships in our lives. Those of consanquinity, personal friendships, or a close circle of friends of companions in a common cause. It is more than just parent and child in my way of thinking. It includes all family relationships–brothers, sisters, cousins and can be aunts, uncles or grandparents. It can be a lieutenant in charge of a platoon. Those relationships are too numerous to list. But in those close confines of mutual dependence and devotion there should develop deep and abiding emotions of love and devotion to duty. That duty can and does vary a great deal but its impact should be deeply felt.

It was only one sheep missing out of the hundred. Ninety-nine were home safe. Practicality and humanistic reasoning would hold that you should be happy with the safety of the 99 and let the lost sheep wander on its own and just hope for the best.

It is not that the Shepherd loved that one more than the others that lead him to seek out the lost one. He loved them all, passionately. But the 99 didn’t need any help at the moment. The one did. He couldn’t rest easy knowing the one was lost, in need, and merely reflect on his good fortune that the 99 were doing fine. If he didn’t seek out the one, he would not be a shepherd much less a good one. The 99 should take great comfort that he sought out the one, it could have been them that was lost. I think it was the love he had for them all that lead him to go out, without assurance of success. Love is indivisible. You don’t chop it into pieces for those who are the object of your devotion.

Yes, he had a duty to perform. It was a civic duty and a moral duty. Civic in that society of sheep and shepherd for him to fulfil his responsibility to protect them all regardless of inconvenience or even danger. Many a lieutenant would and have gone to extraordinary lengths to defend and protect just the one soldier. It was his duty. I think the story would be as inspiring even if he had not found the missing sheep as long as he did all he could to find it. The 99 should see his efforts as a clear sign of how much he loved each of them.

Maybe you will never have a missing sheep in your life experiences but if you do then be a good shepherd. Yes, life sometimes brings us burdens we wish not to bear. But after the event you and those with you will always find a solace in doing one’s duty and any display of love is never, never a wrong approach.

“a light heart lives long” Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Act V

olcranky says amen