On Faith

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The Good Shepherd

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell

in the house of the LORD for ever.

Last Sunday is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Psalm 23 above is read. The King James Version is the way many people learned to know and love this Psalm. In a world of hustle and bustle and slang ways of saying things, the Old English has that quiet, peaceful, comforting sound to it. And that is the intent of this Psalm: to offer peace, quiet and comfort.

King David wrote this Psalm 3,000 years ago. Before he became King of Israel he was a shepherd. David knew how sheep behaved. He knew that they needed a good shepherd who would make sure their needs were met. He knew that if they were afraid or ill at ease they would pace around and not eat. They would not lie down and not properly digest their food. He knew that they would drink from the first water they came to, even if it was a rushing, brackish or muddy torrent.

He knew that when they had a thick wool coat they would stumble around and become “cast”: that is, they would fall over and end up upside-down. In that position a sheep will flail its legs helplessly and maybe die within a few hours. So David learned to watch his flock and “restore” any cast sheep — to lift it up so that it stood upright. He knew that sheep will follow the same paths. He knew that they will eat the grass right down to nothing and even dig up the roots until the path became a worthless rut.

More can be said about this Psalm but by now you might be getting the point. David, a sinner, knew that he needed a Shepherd. And we need help. As sinners in a sinful world we often drink from the muddy waters of ungodly books, magazines, TV, movies and Internet sites. We do not look for the clean, clear waters of God’s Word — the Bible. We often do not follow healthy paths but instead prefer to stay in our rut of anger, hatred, lust and greed.

One Bible passage says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one to his own way.” … “And the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.” The first part is pretty clear; we have turned from God. But what does that last part mean? It means that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He makes sure our needs are met. He leads us to know his peace and quiet.

But most important, Jesus, as John 10:11 says “lays down his life for the sheep.” By His death on the cross, our iniquities — our sins — are forgiven. Only through believing who he is and what he has done can we be placed on the right path. Only through faith in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection is our soul “restored.” That’s what Jesus, our Good Shepherd, does for us!

Pastor Kirk Schield shepherds God’s flock at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church, Two Harbors.

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