“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are calling us to be those who care for others, reaching out to them, empowering and building up others and being a shepherd to the people. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
Acts 1:21-22 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, (22) beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” We continue to look at the essential qualities that were required in the person who was to take the place of Judas. These are the qualities that apply to us as well, as we follow Jesus to be His witnesses. We have considered that the person must be familiar with the teachings of Jesus, which was the truth. Therefore, the manifestation of the truth was an essential requirement to be a witness and bring people to faith in Jesus.
Throughout the life of our Lord Jesus, we see an underlying ethos that was displayed. This was His nature of being a Shepherd. Matthew 9:36-38 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (37) Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. (38) Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” The Lord is asking the disciples to pray that the Lord will send out labourers into the harvest. Labourers are crucial for the Lord, for these labourers must be those, who see people the way the Lord saw the people. Jesus saw people as those who are weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd and so He was moved with compassion for them. This is an essential quality of the labourer, to go into the harvest. Training and equipping of the labourers are important. Several other qualities are also necessary but what we need to have above everything else is a shepherd’s heart for people. When we see people in their desperate situations, we must be moved with compassion for them. We must see, even those who seek to harm us, in their real predicament.
They are in the clutches of the evil one and how he must be tormenting them. Therefore, instead of being afraid, angry or resistant toward our enemies, we must be moved with compassion for them, for they are really hurting on the inside. People need to be brought out of their weariness and people need to be established in their ways. People need to be built up and empowered in order for them to live in victory. We need shepherds who will bring this to reality.
Numbers 27:16-18 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, (17) who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” (18) And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; When the transition of leadership took place from Moses to Joshua, this was the essential quality that was identified. Joshua was a shepherd for the people. The congregation should not be like sheep having any shepherd. The person to replace Judas should have the heart that Jesus had, which was a heart of compassion for the people. If we look within ourselves and we realise that we do not have a shepherd’s heart, then we must ask the Lord to give us a shepherd’s heart, so that we can care for people and bring them to faith in Jesus.
I Kings 3:6-10 And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. (7) Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. (8) And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. (9) Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (10) The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” Solomon was asking the Lord for a shepherd’s heart. He needed to provide the right kind of care for the people. This desire of Solomon pleased the Lord and the Lord blessed him.
The interaction that our Lord had with Peter was about Peter becoming a shepherd for the people. John 21:17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. The Lord longs that we are His under-shepherds, caring and nurturing people into faith in Jesus.
“Lord, make me Your under-shepherd, who has a heart of compassion for the people, just as You.”