Jacob flees, Laban pursues, the life of a shepherd

Having been told to return home by God, Jacob flees with all that he had family,  possessions and flocks. He did it while Laban was away feeding the flock and he did not know Rachel had stolen Laban's household gods. When he finds out Laban pursues Jacob taking seven days to catch up with him. Jacob had beed afraid that Laban would take his wives from by force, but God warns Laban in a dream not to harm Jacob.  He searches for the household gods but does not find them because they are hidden in the bags of Rachel's camel on which she is sitting, and cannot get up because “the manner of women is with me.” When he does not find anything Jacob is angry and they have a very frank conversation. In it we get a clear picture of the hardships of being a shepherd.  It needs to be read to get the full impact!

I used to think Jesus was clever,  that He could use something like the sower to teach a spiritual lesson. I didn't know the half of it, He created each and every thing in creation to be a parable! So this morning I am thinking about the shepherd.  The hardships that Jacob endured is nothing compared to the hardships of the Good Shepherd.  Jesus is the Good shepherd and He gave His life for the sheep – that's us bah,  bah (John 10:11).  He did not run away like a hireling would, but He set His face like a flint to go to Jerusalem the face His trials (verse 12; Luke 9:51).  The Good Shepherd knows His sheep and are known by Him, He calls them by name, they know His voice and they follow Him  (verses 3, 27).  It is a very different picture we see in the way modern sheep are tended. The picture we see of both David and the Good shepherds is one of tenderness and care and even intimacy.

So we have established that shepherding is very difficult, and this brings us to the picture of the pastor as shepherd.  When I was talking myself about the desire I had to be a pastor, a friend said “When God wants to punish a man, He makes him a pastor!” If you think about,  it if you do ten things right and then one thing wrong, what is remembered? You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.  Pastor burn out is very high, and most of the flock don't even pray for him or her!  What is worse, and this is in the same chapter that Jesus is talking about shepherds (10), is that we have an invisible enemy whose agenda is to kill steal and destroy (verse 10).  A brother or sister or sister offended can sow discord, and in this day and age,  we wear offence as a badge of honour! And the fact that there is any success at all is a testimony that He that who is in us,  is greater than He that is in he world.

Father, please help us to be more aware that we are in a battle to the death with the enemy of our souls.  Help us (me)  to pray more for, and support our leaders,  and to learn not to talk offence in Jesus Name Amen