A sheep by itself is easy prey. You don’t find healthy sheep wandering the countryside alone. If you do, they are generally the ones who are sick and lagging along the side of the road. God made sheep to flock together, and He made them to flock under a shepherd. This is by design.
Peter understood this, which is why, after chapters of encouraging a persecuted church scattered across Asia Minor, he pauses in chapter five to address the leaders God put in place to sustain His flock. “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1 Peter 5:2-4)
Deputized Shepherds
Elders and pastors in local churches are not the real shepherd. They are deputized men given authority under the One who owns the flock. And they are called to live up to His standard. David described this standard of care when he wrote: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:1-3). Under shepherds are called to that same posture of provision, protection, and care.
Scripture is clear that what qualifies a man for this role is not his oratorical ability or organizational skill, but his character. The qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 describe a man who is above reproach, temperate, self-controlled, not a lover of money, and a faithful manager of his household. The reason character matters most is that sheep are remarkably good at following their examples. A congregation may not read every volume of biblical theology, but they can follow a life.
The other thing that qualifies a shepherd is that he loves his flock. In John 10, Jesus draws the sharpest contrast between the hired hand and the true shepherd. When the wolf shows up, the hired hand runs because he does not own the sheep and cares nothing for them. The true shepherd stays and lays down his life. Any leader who endures the hard seasons of ministry does so not because the sheep are always easy to love, but because he loves Jesus. That was the connection Jesus pressed Peter on: “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” The shepherd tends the flock because the flock belongs to Jesus, and to love Jesus means loving what He loves.
About the Flock
Scripture has just as much to say about the responsibilities of the sheep as it does about the responsibilities of the shepherd. Hebrews 13:17 says: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” The words obey and submit will raise the temperature a little for most readers, because we are not naturally inclined to come under the authority of human beings who we are increasingly convinced need the grace of God just as much as we do. But that is precisely the point. The Chief Shepherd has deputized shepherds to watch over a flock, and the flock is called to follow them.
What makes any of this possible is what Peter says next: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). It takes humility to be a good shepherd, because serving people who are sometimes genuinely difficult to lead means dying to yourself regularly. It also takes humility to be a good sheep, because following human leaders means recognizing you are a sinner just like they are. When that humility is absent, churches go sideways. Sheep start carrying the staff and shepherds stop leading, and the whole thing falls apart. When humility is present, the shepherd and the flock reflect the Chief Shepherd Himself, which is the point of the whole arrangement.
Way Points with Pastor Steve DeWitt is based on teaching from The Journey.
