Faithful Shepherd

Second Light of Sight and Insight to be switched on in us, in heart-changing manner is this. And there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields. This second sight being illuminated for us, as we read the given text is that shepherds were in the field. They were present, physically present in the fields with their flock. All eyes could see that the flock was not alone in the field. In fact, the verse gives us insightful information, when it describes the lifestyle of these shepherds, as living out in the fields. 

This was a reality in the time of Jesus and before, and still holds true in many parts of the world, where shepherds live nomadic lives. They have no fixed place of abode, no permanent homes, but live in tents and move from place to place in search of good grazing lands for their flock. Wherever they find fields of good pastureland and water, they will live there, until it is time to move on again. Certain deeply moving and, needless to say, guilt-forming sights and insights have been spread out wide, before us. These have been driven home very hard to many of us, especially when brought to us from the sheep’s voice and experience of its shepherd. It comes in this form.

Our shepherd shepherds us in the most amazing, kind and loving ways. He does not think of himself first, but thinks of our well-being first. He is prepared to live without the luxuries and comforts of a place to lay his head even, and call his own, just to ensure that we are well fed and watered. He does not look for places that will ensure he has lots of nice food to eat and drink, but seeks places where we have good pasture and water.

Can you honestly hear this, see this, and not see our Shepherd who shepherds us? To shepherd us, our Shepherd left a perfect life in heaven to come to us, to save us and care for us. He lived as one without a home, because of His faithfulness and love for us. Do you remember His response to someone who said that he wanted to follow Jesus, wherever He would go? And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Luke 9: 58. Without stretching the imagination, this phrase, shepherds living out in the fields, brings us to think of Jesus and how He gave up much, suffered much, was ridiculed much and dishonoured much, to be our Good Shepherd. He suffered that we might be free.

And there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock. Beautifully and vibrantly lit up for us is the word fields. We need to discuss this in simple, down-to-earth realities that must not be allowed to escape us. Let your ever quickened mind go to the fields. What do you see? Indeed! The flock is in grassy, grazing fields, where they can feed sumptuously and at leisure. They are not in bushy, brier-entangling fields, where to get food is worrisome, tiring, stressful and almost non-existent. No shepherd shepherds his or her animals into bad fields.

This is absolutely essential, a light to be rewired and settled in us, because too often we forget that we have a Good Shepherd. Too often our actions, words and manner give testimonies which deny who our Shepherd really is. Which human shepherds, travelling with their flock, saying that they are looking for good feeding ground only, settle their flock on arid, dry, stony fields? So if this is not done by human shepherds, how on earth can we ever dream of thinking or believing that our Good Shepherd, who gives His Life for His sheep, will take us to feed in such death-giving fields?

Holy Spirit, work this out in me please that I may not, in any way, be a false witness of the Lord who shepherds me. Amen!