Sent to Shepherd: Leading in Church PlantingНамуна

Discerning the Goodness of a Shepherd

The preceding chapter (John 9) is all about answering the question of who Jesus is. People wonder if Jesus is a sinner or from God. Is he a prophet or even the messiah? Jesus answers in a typical fashion, with a parable about how to tell the difference between a true shepherd and a false one. Using shepherds as a metaphor for kings and leaders goes at least as far back as King David. Jesus employs it here to shed a revealing light on the current religious and political leadership.

The descendants of Herod the Great are in bed with Rome to keep their power, the religious leaders use their authority to keep people out rather than gather them in. Israel’s current leaders are in it for themselves, not for the sheep. It’s a rebuke. The worst part is they don’t even understand what he’s getting at.

But what about us? We’re no longer trying to answer the question of who Jesus is. He’s the true shepherd—the rightful king. He ascended to his throne not through political cunning or conniving, he didn’t enter the sheep pen by jumping the fence when no one was looking. He came in through the door, by giving his life for his sheep. His shepherding is defined by self-giving love.And we know his voice.

The question for us as leaders is simple: Is our shepherding defined by self-interest or self-giving love? The less we feel we need this revealing light cast on our motives as leaders, the more likely it is that we truly do.