Though he has risen in glory and is soon to ascend to
the Father, Christ continues with us as a shepherd on earth, a shepherd who
knows, cares, leads, and protects his sheep. Though risen in glory and absent
in the body, Jesus continues as an abiding presence to care for his people. He
is the good shepherd who died for his sheep to rescue them from the wolves. His
resurrection confirms his victory and he continues to live as the shepherd of
our souls.
– Psalm 23:1-3 The Antiphon for
this coming Sunday’s Introit is taken
from Vs.1, “The Lord’s my shepherd I
shall not want.” The term “Shepherd”
is a widely used metaphor used for Kings. David as King acknowledges that the
Lord is his Shepherd-King. Jesus as the shepherd of His people is expressed
most plainly in our Gospel lesson for this coming week. John 10:1-10
By these words David
illustrates God's care of his people; and to this our Savior refers to Himself
when He says, “I am the shepherd of the
sheep; the good shepherd,” (John. 10:11). He is the shepherd of Israel, and
of the whole church in general: “Oh, give
ear, Shepherd of Israel, Thou who dost lead Joseph like a flock; Thou who art
enthroned {above} the cherubim, shine forth!” (NAS Psalm 80:1), He is the
shepherd of every particular believer; even the meanest is not below His
awareness, “Like a shepherd He will tend
His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry {them} in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing {ewes.}” (NAS Isaiah. 40:11).
We are sheep who have
gone astray. Lost in the rebellion of sin we have become wayward sheep. Isaiah
the prophet explains in Isaiah 53:6 “All
of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but
the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”
As the Good Shepherd
Jesus rescues the sheep. He takes them into His fold, and then takes care of
them, protects them, and provides for them, with more care and devotion than
any shepherd can. He makes it his business to keep the flock. Thus, we pray in Luther’s Morning and Evening
prayers: “into Thy hands I commend myself
{placing} my body and soul and all things {into Your care...}”
Sheep cannot do one
thing to provide for themselves. They need a shepherd who will provide for
them. Of themselves, they can do nothing. They are lost, confused and would
soon be destroyed without Him. Thus the Good Shepherd will provide for all that
we need to support our body and life; both physical but especially spiritual
necessities.
When the Christian
considers that God is his shepherd, he can boldly say, “I shall not want!” We
need not fear. We don’t have to worry about starving; God upon finding us
supplies all our needs. We have Him as our feeder.
More is implied than is
expressed in this little phrase. Not only can David say: “I shall not want”, but also, "I shall be supplied with whatever I need. If I have not everything I
desire, I may conclude it is either not fit for me or not good for me currently
or I shall have it in due time."
David, a king of his own
right acknowledges that the Lord is his Shepherd-King. Jesus, who suffered and
died on Calvary’s cross, has become our good shepherd. We walk with Him as we
observe His Passion. We need not worry about being in want. To the contrary, we
will enjoy goodness and mercy each day of our lives. As we begin the discipline
of Lent walk with the Good Shepherd. -He guides and directs your path.
A Prayer for Agriculture as another planting season is upon us: Almighty God, You blessed the earth to make
it fruitful, bringing forth in abundance whatever is needed for the support of
our lives. Prosper; we implore You, the work of farmers, especially in this
planting season. Grant them seasonable weather that they may gather in the
fruits of the earth and thus proclaim Your goodness. May we see by this noble
vocation that by Your aid we are helping to feed the world and cause all who
give thanks over their food to treat those who produce it with honor and
respect.
___________________
Image of the Lost Sheep copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
Collect for Agriculture, Lutheran Service Book copyright © 2206
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
The Good Shepherd © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
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