Blessed are the Shepherds Who Spread The Gospel

Prayer-Soldier

Blessed are the Shepherds Who Spread The Gospel

Scripture:

Woe to the pastors, that destroy and tear the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord the God of Israel to the pastors that feed my people: You have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold I will visit upon you for the evil of your doings, says the Lord. And I will gather together the remnant of my flock, out of all the lands into which I have cast them out: and I will make them return to their own fields, and they shall increase and be multiplied. And I will set up pastors over them, and they shall feed them: they shall fear no more, and they shall not be dismayed: and none shall be wanting of their number, says the Lord. Behold the days come, says the Lord, and I will raise up to David a just branch: and a king shall reign, and shall be wise, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In those days shall Juda be saved, and Israel shall dwell confidently: and this is the name that they shall call him: the Lord our just one.
(Jeremiah 23:1-6)

But now in Christ Jesus, you, who some time were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made both one, and breaking down the middle wall of partition, the enmities in his flesh: Making void the law of commandments contained in decrees; that he might make the two in himself into one new man, making peace; and might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, killing the enmities in himself. And coming, he preached peace to you that were afar off, and peace to them that were nigh. For by him we have access both in one Spirit to the Father.
( Ephesians 2:13-18 )

And the apostles coming together unto Jesus, related to him all things that they had done and taught. And he said to them: Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat. And going up into a ship, they went into a desert place apart. And they saw them going away, and many knew: and they ran flocking thither on foot from all the cities, and were there before them. And Jesus going out saw a great multitude: and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.
(Mark 6:30-34)

Reflection:

The role of a priest is one of a shepherd. He is to look out for the flock, bring them to the food and drink of eternal life, and raise the alarm to the dangers which yield the ruin of souls. God has a special place within His heart for those who perform this work, for they sacrifice in many ways to ensure the safety of His flock. The Lord warns, though, that there are those who fail in what is entrusted to them. He also warns of the false shepherd, the ones consumed by the deceptions of the evil one, who endeavor to scatter and drive away His sheep. (cf. Matthew 7:15-20)

We must pray for protection from the false shepherds so that we, too, are not led astray from the eternal pasture of the Lord. As we learn the Word of God, as we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit, we will recognize the voice of the true shepherd and make the task of the false shepherd more difficult, for we will enable ourselves to see the false paths for what they are.

When the false shepherd swings his staff, the sheep scatter and become vulnerable to the wolves. God does not wish to lose even one of His fold; therefore, He looks to His true shepherds to draw His sheep in. We should not be surprised, though, that the evil one seeks to seduce the shepherds of the field to care more for their desires over the needs of the flock. Through the neglect of such shepherds, the sheep become prey for the master of darkness.

We must pray for our shepherds, that they may be protected from temptation and corruption. We must pray that they are guided by the Holy Spirit, not only for blessings of the flock, but so the shepherds act with wisdom, courage, and strength to gather in the lost sheep.

Jesus came to the world so that His sheep might know their true shepherd. He came to teach them, but more importantly, He came for their salvation. This was fulfilled upon the cross, not only for the generation with whom He walked, but for all. This was done because of His love for all the children of His creation.

With His resurrection, He returned to the Father, but to ensure His flock would receive care, He established His church with the promise the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:1 Cool

. As Jesus spoke to Peter, He told Peter to feed and care for His sheep (John 21:15-17). This is what He entrusted to His church and to the shepherds He has called, entrusted, and ordained.

It is for this reason He taught His apostles, so that they might teach His flock and set in motion the succession of shepherds to be sent forth to the generations. He sent them forth to bring the good news of the gospel to all the world and the generations to come. Blessed are those who hear and respond to His call. Blessed are those to whom He sends His shepherds. Let us pray for the shepherds, that He will protect them and guide them in their work so that they may feed His sheep with the blessings of His Word as well as the food and drink of eternal life (John 6:53-54).

Questions for further reflection:

In what ways may we recognize those who endeavor to mislead us?

In what ways may we recognize those God has sent to share His Word with us?

In what ways may we help those who endeavor to spread the holy truth of God?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier