The Good Shepherd Series

A group of business leaders were touring a mental hospital, with one of them making some very insensitive and insulting remarks about the patients.

After the tour was completed, the group met with various members of the mental hospital staff in the cafeteria. The unkind visitor chatted with Bill, a kind and wise ex-policeman, who was on the security staff.

“Are they all sick and crazy loonies in here?” the insensitive and rude visitor asked.

“Only the ones who fail the test,” replied Bill.

“What is the test?” asked the man.

Bill replied, “Well, we show them a bath filled with water, a large bucket, a large cup, and a spoon. We then ask them what the quickest way to empty the water in the bath would be.”

The man said, “Oh, I see… that is pretty simple – the ‘normal one’ knows it’s the bucket, right?”

“No actually,” replied Bill. “The normal ones say pull the plug. Should I see if there is a bed free for you?” (Michael G. Rogers, Leadership Development is About You Too! Short Funny Leadership Story, www.teamworkleadership.com).

Some of you have served such insensitive, ignorant leaders. So, what do you do in those situations? What do you do when your boss is a selfish, self-centered snoot? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Ezekiel 34, Ezekiel 34, where God addresses such leaders in the presence of their followers, who were suffering as result of their poor leadership.

Ezekiel 34:1-6 The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them (ESV).

Israel and Judah were in exile, because their rulers, their so-called “shepherds,” refused to take care of the people in their charge. On the contrary, these kings exploited the people, abusing them for their own benefit. They ruled with an iron fist, ignoring the lost, the lame, and the sick.

On commentator said, “They had served themselves at the expense of their people, rather than serving the people at any cost to themselves (Wright, The Message of Ezekiel: A New Heart and a New Spirit, Inter-Varsity Press, 2001). As a result, God declares that He will remove them from power.

Ezekiel 34:7-10 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them (ESV).

God opposes those who exploit His people, and He will prevent them from further exploitation. He will remove them from power as He calls them to account.

And that is exactly what happened. Israel and Judah’s monarchy ended with the Babylon captivity and has yet to be restored. In fact, for over 2,500 years, the land of Israel remained under foreign control until 1948, when Israel became a nation again. God most certainly removed those greedy “shepherds” for a long time!

Now, God pronounced judgment on those “shepherds” in the hearing of those they exploited. They had led God’s people into idolatry, which is why there were in exile in the first place. So, the message is clear to God’s people: Stop following those shepherds. Refuse to listen to them anymore.

REJECT THE GREEDY SHEPHERDS.

And stay away from their attempts to dominate you.

When he first became a Christian, Augustine's ambition was to live the rest of his life as a private person, focusing on prayer and quiet contemplation. But other church leaders noticed the depth of his spiritual life and tapped him to be a bishop. From that point on, Augustine would have to relinquish his desire for a quiet, private life and focus on overseeing a number of churches.