Mark de Boer
Hans Pruis’ devotional this morning was on Ezechiel 34. The main subject of this chapter is whether the jewish leaders were feeding or eating their sheep.
He shared about a Finnish church, where he saw a painting of a famous legend. Once a ruler asked the church to come and show its treasures. The church leaders brought their sheep: the sick and weak people, but the result was that the ruler felt offended and had this church leaders ‘barbecued’. A strong picture of the way Jesus was treated when he came down from heaven to take care of his sheep! The question is of course: do we see our sheep as treasures, as human beings that are worthy to be taken care of?
Some guiding principles for shepherding, taken from Ezechiel 34:
- being with them (vs12)
- rescue them (vs12)
- bring them into their own land (vs13)
- tend them in good pasture (vs14)
- there they will lie down (vs14)
