The Good Shepherd

This past week Shanna and I had the chance to see the vast land of East Africa. While riding in a vehicle traveling to language school over the rugged terrain filled with all the beasts of Africa we kept seeing one of the most recognizable people groups of the land. These individuals live amongst the beasts and they are Africa’s shepherds. They are called the Maasai. They are one of the tribes best known for wearing their red shukas (cloth), creating beautiful beadwork, and their cattle-herding lifestyle.

The Maasai amazed me as we traveled along the highway throughout the game preserves. Observing them while whizzing by, their shepherding skills became evident. You could tell they had a deep connection with their cattle as they made sure no single cow came upon the highway on the open range. With only a staff in their hand they took their role as protector of their herds serious. As they watched over their cattle, they would lead them to green pastures and to areas of water. I am told they stay with their cattle night and day in order to guard them from wild animals and thieves. The Maasai understand that a true shepherd is brave, sacrificial, and responsible for the well-being of the flock.

This time of year the Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a Sunday in which the Church recalls how Christ shepherds His Church. Psalm 23 and John 10 are usually read on this particular Sunday. Psalm 23 portrays the beautiful imagery of the Shepherd and His sheep. It reminds us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10), and He has been sent by His heavenly Father to tend His sheep. 

From the moment the Holy Spirit gave you the gift of faith you became a part of God’s family, His flock. You are God’s sheep!  When evil visits you, you are God’s sheep. When joy fills your heart, you are God’s sheep! Even though we are clothed with Christ in Baptism; even though we are His very own sons and daughters, the sinful nature still lurks in our lives. That’s why, as His flock, we can exhibit those sheep characteristics. The devil, the world, and our sinful nature try to destroy our faith in Christ. These outside influences oftentimes will lure God’s sheep to the other side of the road. Perhaps there is something we see that we want to do and it takes us away from the Lord’s pasture.

The sheep’s natural response is to wander. In sin we wander from God’s house—become angry with Him, lose faith in Him, lose confidence that His simple Word and Sacraments are the richest means anyone could ever spread before us. As we begin to wander, the next thing we know—a missed Sunday here and a missed Sunday there—turns into weeks and weeks into months and months into years without ever being fed with the nourishment of God. The grace of God found in the 23rd Psalm is forgotten.

That’s why God sent His only Son to be your Savior. He has died for all of your sins upon the Cross and has been bodily raised from the dead for you on the Third Day for your forgiveness, life, and salvation. This Good Shepherd knows you by name. By faith, your name is now written in His Book of Life. It’s this relationship between the Shepherd and His sheep that will last for an eternity. He prepares His table for you—His true body and blood given and shed for you to eat and drink for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of your faith—and invites you to come and dine as His guests. 

These next three months Shanna and I will be learning Swahili in order to better prepare future pastors and deaconesses to point others to the Good Shepherd throughout East Africa. Some of these individuals may even be from the Maasai tribe. We know this will not be an easy endeavor and we will likely stumble. As we do, like you, we will be strengthened by our Good Shepherd through the Word and Sacrament. Like you, we will continue to seek the Lord in prayer and see what He may have us do in order to draw ourselves and others even closer to Him.

Let us then together (both in the States and in Africa) draw near to Him and feed on the Shepherd’s love given to us in the Word and Sacraments. Let us then, stay with His flock. For we know He breaks the old willfulness and stubbornness. He makes us His servants, who fear, love and trust in Him above all things. He makes us His servants who willingly lay down our lives, like the Maasai, for the needs of others and for the sake of Christ’s Gospel message.

In Christ,

Rev. Hageman