1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,[a] not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;[b] not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
1 Peter 5:1-4 (NLT) 中文
Peter’s example
Peter, as an elder and apostle, now exhorts the other elders among his readers: shepherd the flock. He addresses them as a fellow elder with the same responsibility. But he adds to this that he has personally witnessed Christ’s sufferings – which we know from the gospels. John also mentioned his personal experience – of beholding Christ’s glory (John 1:14). These guys are living proof, not just that Jesus is a real person, but of His miracles, teaching, power, glory. In the “suffering” context of this passage, this can bring encouragement.
Shepherd the flock
His charge to the elders is: shepherd the flock. If we know anything about shepherds and sheep, we can get a taste of the relationship Christ has with the church and what shepherds (including fathers for families) should have for their “flock”, those under their care. Psalm 23 presents a wonderful outline of what shepherds should do for their flocks.
Of course, this is patterned off Jesus, the Good Shepherd. And what is His main role, “He lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:15) We know God became man in Jesus Christ (Immanuel) and lived among men. He chose 12 disciples and shepherded them so they could shepherd others. He invested the bulk of His time in ministry in them. Then we see Paul, who was not one of the twelve but brought in later with a personal encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19).
Tips on shepherding
Peter doesn’t present a laundry list of the activities of a shepherd but some cautions:
- Exercise oversight. Take responsibility for their care and welfare, especially spiritually, but also physically and otherwise. Love them as they love themselves. Keeping connected to the Good Shepherd so he can help his flock stay connected.
- Willing serve. It’s not a drudgery, but a call, a blessing, to serve others. We remember Christ said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) On the contrary, shepherds are to do it eagerly.
- Non-profit. The shepherd is not to do this for any gain – power, wealth, position. They are not to take any advantage of the position.
- Humbly. Jesus is the perfect example of a humble servant (see Mark 10:45). He had every right and reason to live as a King and prominently rule. He will one day when He returns and is currently in Heaven. But on earth, He desired to set an example for shepherds (and really all of us) of how to live with a humble heart.
- Expect glory. Oftentimes, shepherding is difficult and painful. You can ask any pastor and I’m sure they can provide testimony to this. They need hope, encouragement. Peter reiterates what the rest of the NT says, we have an unfading crown of glory. Here’s a link to a list of Believers’ Crowns.
RЯeflection
- We all need motivation to persevere through the trials of life. This comes in the way of promises of God. When we put our faith in our Faithful Father, we trust that He will deliver on His promises. In today’s passage Peter talks about an “unfading crown of glory”. We have this to look forward to. Paul summarizes it as, “For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
- Most of us are not shepherds (but remember fathers are). How do we relate to this passage? If anything, we should see the need to support and pray for our shepherd, our pastor. When was the last time you did this?
