Shepherds Lead Sheep

On October 6th in Madrid, Spain there were some 2,000 sheep led by their shepherds through the metropolis.  As one report indicated “tourists were surprised to see downtown traffic cut to permit the ovine parade to bleat-bells clanking across some of Madrid’s most upmarket urban settings.” (http://goo.gl/WgR08j) These shepherds led their sheep through Madrid to demonstrate their displeasure with Madrid’s lack of concern for their ancient grazing, droving, and migration rights.  One of the amazing things coming out of this was the sheep’s sheer confidence in their shepherds to lead them through what was “unfamiliar territory.” I can’t help but think how similar this is to Christ and the eldership He set up over His church.  Peter makes clear Christ is the Chief Shepherd because we can have complete confidence in Him and can follow Him ultimately to heaven through unfamiliar territory (I Pt 5:4; I Pt 2:11).  However Christ also established elders/overseers/shepherds (I Pt 5:1-3) to rule over His church (He 13:17).  Christ expects His appointed shepherds to lead their sheep to Him.  There are two things made explicit in this: (1) The sheep know their shepherds so that they know who to follow and (2) they trust their shepherds enough to follow them.  Too many congregations today, unfortunately, find themselves not only not knowing their shepherds but not trusting them either.  It is high time the shepherds that have been appointed by God to watch over His flock make sure that their flocks not only know them but can trust them to lead them to the home above (I Ti 3:5; Ezek 34:1-10).