He Goeth Before warming images of the Good Shepherd copyright Doug Blair, Waterloo, ON, 2017
In the tenth chapter of John's Gospel Jesus portrays Himself as the Good Shepherd, one properly qualified to tend to God's sheep and prepared under all circumstances to give His life for the safety and well-being of the flock. The sheep come to recognize His voice and to heed his direction and comfort.
The Shepherd’s Call
A windswept grassy island. Sheep roaming free. Shepherd raises his hands to his mouth And calls the flock through the mists. They literally run to come near to him. They know by experience that he is trustworthy;
That he truly loves them. And understands the fabric of their life. There is no need for butting or disorder. He also is the one who disciplines. And delights with special treats. They happily submit and rejoice in unison. Their incoming bleatings are A song of delight to the Man of Mercy.
Sound Hope in the Bleating
Would to God I knew the answers Save you from this present pain We are damp And risking footing Up this slope despite the rain. I have watched you Bow to others While they butt and bleat out scorn I have not The plan nor power To reverse such days forlorn. But the Man Up at the forefront Knows the way to peace and rest Once He held me On His shoulders Broke my leg to know His best And for days I sensed His heartbeat Saw Him calmly help the flock I will never Stray rebellious He has cleansed my hope and walk And He will So shepherd, help you
As you gain your dearest Friend Truth, these wet And woesome dark days Count so little at the end.
Distressed Flock
Drudgery in this walk And dry the place I know that we are tired The bugs, the heat The grass turned brown Oh for those days inspired. We left the fold And village cheer Our Shepherd on ahead With hopes of high And verdant times No sense of doubt or dread. The Man before Would sing and march And watering holes unearth Quite safe with Him As wolf lurked round We thrived in second-birth. Then clouds had come And drizzling tests The path turned mud Quite slick And some would fall Their lungs awash And most lost heart when sick. The Shepherd still Would share this test And doctor when He could And bring to mind Much hallowed verse As we knew that we should. A single day of sun Told us His hope Could not be quelled. But soon a drought Burned off all damp Parched bellies
Ached and yelled. So this the goal? We asked ourselves A string of stretching trials? Where gone the song And sky-blue hopes Sweet fellowship and smiles? But then He comes Right in the face Caressing stricken heads And points beyond... The high plateau With stream-fed grassy beds. Each sheep takes heart Their Man before Has brought them To the goal And worth all trials His healing smiles His rich empowering soul.
He Goeth Before He goeth before And none can change the order He trieth the path And sets the rate of climb. He goeth before And finds for sheep day's grazing He knoweth their ways And tender lambing time He goeth before And sees that all is safety He counters the bear And wolf, their every threat. He goeth before And finds the waters bracing Then soothes with the oil Their ennui and sore regret. He goeth before When darkness brings the terrors He bides with the storms
And sings the hymns so true He goeth before To calm each sheep's departing Lays to its rest Gives each His hopeful view.
The Bell Weather
The sheep misbehaves And strays to fields of danger He wants to be free And taste his fare of choice. Departs from the flock And guidance of the shepherd Flees rod and staff And comforts of His voice. The shepherd seeks out And plucks the lamb with strong arms Swift breaks his leg And wraps it clean and tight. Lifts to His shoulders And days then spent communing Keeping the flock Assuring paths are right. Close to that heart which Beats with care and goodness Lamb comes to know The Master's ways are best. Healed, seems right quick And fitted, bell a-ringing Constant his tune Attracting all the rest.
Known by Him
Known by Him and claimed by Him. That is the path to victory, to overcoming. Not healed by Him; prospered by Him; promoted by Him; given acclaim by Him. Simply known...and we know Him. The original word suggests an intimacy, as in marriage. The chapter on the Good Shepherd (John 10) suggests that the sheep know His voice and will follow Him and none other. Have the under-shepherds caught this intense affinity? They are caregivers in every sense of the word and not just teachers or cheerleaders. They must have time to attend upon and not just to preach to their charges. Feel this intensity of care in Ezekiel chapter 34: 13And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 16I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. I found my attention drawn recently to the Passover Psalms (the Grand Hallel, Psalms 113118). At a late point in the reading one encounters the verse " 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? " And that is all our confidence.
Keep These in Your Quiver
That God is always Love. That man is by nature a stubborn self-serving troublemaker. That sin can be identified.
That only blameless blood sacrifice will make good out of that sin. That Christianity is consistently a “beggar’s lot”. That the analogy of flock and Good Shepherd is right on the mark. That Someone from without will essentially change your within, if requested. That community in love is an essential proving ground from timeless Trinity (John 1: 1, 2) to present day Church (1 John 3: 17-19) to the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21 and 22) That Heaven and Hell are God’s recompense for everything.
Soothing Oils Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psalm 23:5b
When sheep get to the summer their days are spent under the debilitating weight of smothering insects. These plague the eyes, ears, nose and throat. Breathing becomes difficult. Sheep are driven to exasperation and dangerous behaviour.
Only two things offer relief. Wind and oil. Imagine a soothing breeze at dusk when the flock get a break. Imagine also the Shepherd calling over a bothered sheep with pleasant voice and words of assurance. Then come the blessed oils administered liberally
How interesting that the Bible gives images of wind and oil for the workings of the Holy Spirit. A believer is troubled by influences from without and within. The Spirit calms, comforts, teaches, reminds, empowers and equips. He also strengthens one's awareness of the presence and involvement of the Lord of Glory.
The Concerted Search This thing never ends
And I have a responsibility. Waking in this hotel room Well into days of business: The dream was filled with awe And forewarning. A place without shafts of sunlight Without singing of birds Or laughter of very small children All pink and perfect. Undercurrents of grief Of abandonment On a road irreversible. Hopelessness beyond words Or circumstance. And not about to end. No babies. No new Life. No happy families. The manger Child Came into view. And the bowing of all Eastern wisdom before Him. The happy noises Of the carpenter shop And a Father’s focused coaching. The wanderings of hillside And meadow and marketplace. Heaven’s touch constantly Brought to His mind. The browsing of sacred scrolls And emergence of the Mission. Seeking, hurting people Relieved at side of Lake By His simple touch or message. Power figures
Recoiling and hissing. Their bankruptcy exposed And games of sin manipulation. (Sunday school images all.) The rest followed quickly: The debates, the treachery, The cowardly arrest The ridiculous trials And postures. And a crowd turned animal As if a single unit Beneath the bleeding And beseeching of The One Good Man. Cross-bound‌ In that mutinous unit I saw myself Howling like the rest. Disgusted at the sufferings. Not knowing their import. Until His gaze fell upon me. Not condemning, but reassuring That I could do better. Would do better. There was still time. I awoke. One full minute before The front desk’s calling. I reached out. The bedside drawer held One of those Gideon Bibles. A concerted search Had been birthed Out of merciful terror
And longing. I would become That New Creation. In Christ. The greatest of businesses Now very clear.
Listening, Finally
For years I let the jangle Fill up my ears with noise And things that seemed so precious A useless pack of toys. When all along the Saviour Was whispering from behind With words of comfort, rescue To free my heart and mind. But circumstances pushed me And fear of men held sway And old routines still bound me With just no time to pray. Until a certain crisis Without the means to cope And all the paths of mortals
Quite destitute of hope. Yes, then His voice came louder As I was wont to hear My Friend so close, neglected Spoke faith into my fear. And Jesus healed my deafness With mercy’s strange alloy My new delight to listen His Voice my crowning joy.
I can only bless the ransomed, Who in Jesus finds his worth. Not in striving or in doings, Of the kind men praise on earth. But who, taking Christ’s blood payment, Comes to praise and understand The completeness, and the justice, And the mercy of my Plan.
I can only bless the serving Who will flee all worldly fame, And delight me with small love-tasks Given solely in my name. As he dons the towel of service, Washing feet of worldly grime, He will know the heart of Jesus. He will know the joy sublime.