I
am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the
sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the
sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth:
and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling
fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
//John's Gospel contains a beautiful, hope-filled picture of a good
shepherd. It also contains a warning about a bad shepherd, referred to
as the "hireling."
This
passage is sometimes misunderstood to refer to the shepherding
instincts and skills of the clergy. Some religions, disdaining the
collection plate, even point to the word "hireling" and criticize those
"shepherds" who accept a salary.
The
fact is, however, this verse must be read in context, noting the source
of John's theology ... not just in the Gospel of John but in the book
of Revelation. The books of Ezekiel and Zechariah and Isaiah are
fundamental to John's "shepherd" theology, and the most important thing
to realize is that there is only one of each shepherd.
"The" good shepherd, "the" bad shepherd. This displays a dichotomy that
grew common in Judaic writings, particularly apocalyptic writings such
as passages found in these O.T. books. There would one day come a
messiah, who would battle an antichrist. There would one day come a good
shepherd, who would oppose an evil shepherd. Nowhere is this more clear
than in the book of Zechariah.
John's
stance is simple and exciting: We've found one of the two! The good
shepherd has been discovered! It's Jesus! John doesn't name the bad
shepherd. His point in bringing up Jesus' evil twin seems to be merely
to highlight the contrast: "See, Jesus is the one we're waiting for to
be the good shepherd, because he hangs in there to the very end, even
dying for his flock."
So,
while I agree with the concern that clergy need to be good shepherds
instead of “hirelings,” this was never a scriptural command.
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