When Shepherds Go Bad

Written by Ed Kauffman

When Shepherds Go Bad

May 15, 2011

Ed Kauffman

 

I know a little something about sheep.  Some of my earliest memories are of the flock of sheep that we raised on our small farm, at one point somewhere around a herd of 100.  We nurtured lambs who were abandoned by their mothers, bottle feeding them until they were old enough to make it on their own.  The annual shearing was a major event, memorable partly because it was a local Mennonite pastor who did the job, and ran a woolen mill to process the wool.  And then, of course, there were the inevitable times when the sheep found a way through the fence and they needed to be herded back inside.

Many people tend to see sheep as “dumb animals”, but I can vouch for the fact that they are certainly not the dumbest of animals – that designation I would reserve for domestic turkeys.  And Jesus certainly gave them some credit as well.  They do recognize voices, and the ones we bottle fed and called by name, knew when we called them.  “Baby” could be counted on throughout her life to come when called, and provided enjoyment for many kids over the years.

And sheep, unlike some other animals, could generally find their way home, as the nursery rhyme suggests.   “Leave them alone and they’ll come home…” 

But our texts for this morning focus primarily on the role of the shepherd, an image that is used throughout the Bible.  As one commentator said, “Even if someone knows nothing else about the Bible, they probably know Psalm 23.”  But that’s only the most familiar passage using the image of the shepherd. 

There are, of course, the stories of literal shepherds who became major figures in the Biblical accounts.  Moses was tending flocks when he saw the burning bush and had his encounter with God.  There is David the shepherd who was known for his exploits and later became king.  Or one could cite Amos, the prophet, who was “among the shepherds of Tekoa,” when he received his visions of the coming judgments.

Those all provide literal examples of shepherds, but often the image of the shepherd, which was certainly a familiar one in Biblical times, was used figuratively for other leaders, particularly of kings and of priests.  In most instances where the image of the shepherd is used, you can substitute “king” for “shepherd” and it will make as much sense, and sometimes even more. 

In Ezekiel, the shepherds of the people are taken to task.  While they are supposed to be looking out for the sheep, feeding them, binding up their wounds, instead the shepherds are exploiting the sheep.  “You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings.”  They are accused of letting the sheep wander all over the earth.  Because of that, says the Lord, “I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out.”  There is the promise of a true shepherd, after the pattern of David, who will truly care for the sheep.

Perhaps Jesus was referring to this Ezekiel passage as he used the image of shepherd in John 10.  We should note that the passage we read this morning, indeed all of John 10, is Jesus’ , or John’s, commentary on the healing of the man born blind, a story we explored several weeks ago during Lent.  In that account the religious leaders are seen to be more concerned over keeping strict adherence to the laws and practices of the religious system than in rejoicing that the sight of a man had been restored.  They were more concerned about maintaining their positions of power and authority than they were about looking out for the welfare of the people.

And so Jesus draws the contrast between those who exploit the sheep, the thieves and the robbers, and the true shepherd who knows the sheep and looks out for their best interests.  He uses several images here, the gate or door and the shepherd, going on in verses we didn’t read with the familiar, “I am the good shepherd.”

The commentator at workingpreacher.org notes this about the passage:

"We can observe a couple of interesting things about the shepherd with whom Jesus identifies himself. First, this shepherd has the well-being of the sheep at heart, rather than his own well-being.  This shepherd is neither thief nor bandit who would steal sheep, a profoundly anti-social act and one in which the sheep would come to no good end.  Jesus emphasizes a particular difference between the bandit and shepherd:  the shepherd enters rightly, properly, and openly into the sheepfold.  It is appropriate for him to come and call his sheep and he does so, through the door.   All is open and above board, a cooperative effort with an obliging doorkeeper and sheep who respond to the sound of their name.  There is a relationship of trust among all parties here.  Notice that the sheep are not presented as totally dumb.  They hear, follow, flee false shepherds, and are able to "know" whom to trust.

In verse 4, their trust is validated and emphasized by another piece of the shepherd's behavior: he brings the sheep out of the fold and then goes before them.  The sheep do not simply escape some confinement or hasten out of the fold to brave the larger world on their own.  Their shepherd leads them out and then goes before them, in front of them, to lead.  The sheep are not abandoned."

In both cases, Ezekiel and John, we are given a contrast between good shepherds and bad shepherds.  Good shepherds look out for the needs of the sheep. Everything is out in the open, done properly.  There is a trust between sheep and shepherd that allows for the healthy growth of all involved.  In contrast, the bad shepherds look out primarily for themselves and in so doing exploit the sheep.  While they too may know the sheep, and at first the sheep may trust them, they seek to gain that trust, only to break it.  They deal in secrecy, sneaking in the back way, and using the sheep for their own gain.

Unfortunately, those contrasts still exist among a group that is sometimes referred to as shepherds in the church, namely pastors.  While it is a topic that we would prefer not to talk about, the sad truth is that there are persons in leadership in the church, specifically pastors, who act like those shepherds that Ezekiel talked about in Israel who are more interested in feeding themselves than in their responsibility to their flocks.  I know, because I have dealt with them and with the aftermath of their exploitation.

When I was interviewing for my second pastorate, Gay and I were meeting with a group of people when one of the women approached Gay and asked, loudly enough for many to hear, “So, does your husband fool around?”  It’s not a question that one normally thinks of asking!  And there was muted laughter as Gay responded negatively and we moved on.  But what I discovered as I became the pastor of that congregation was that the question Helen had posed was, in fact, a question on everyone’s mind.

You see, two years previously, their pastor had “fooled around” with another staff member and when it was discovered had immediately resigned and left.  And over the next 8 years I was left to deal with the aftermath, the broken trust, and the lingering question of whether I too would “fool around” and abandon them.

From that experience and then through reading and training, I learned a great deal more about what we now call clergy misconduct, and determined that I would do all I could to help congregations and pastors not go through this devastating experience.  So I have been involved in leading workshops for pastors, consulting with congregations who have experienced it, and holding clergy accountable when they have violated a congregation’s trust.  Most of one shelf in my office is devoted to issues of abuse, primarily clergy abuse.

We often tend to think that clergy abuse is confined primarily to Roman Catholic priests abusing children, because that is what the media tends to cover, and certainly that is a sad situation which the Catholic Church needs to come to grips with.  But the reality is that pastors abuse people of all ages, both male and female, and that it happens in all denominations.  In 1993 Carolyn Holdrread Heggen wrote a book entitled Sexual Abuse in Christian Homes and Churches, published by Herald Press, in which she cites many examples from her work as a counselor and consultant.  What she doesn’t say in the book, but said in a workshop I attended, is that all the examples in the book come from Mennonite homes and congregations.

What are we talking about specifically?  Whenever a pastor gets involved sexually with a member of their congregation, it is a violation of that pastor’s role and responsibility, and it is their fault.  A pastor in a congregation holds a position of trust and a position of power in the lives of their congregants.  It’s not a matter of whether they think they do or not – it just is.  I’ve had lots of pastors who have said to me, “I don’t have any power!”  But the reality is that simply by being in this position, a pastor has a certain amount of power.  That’s not a bad thing.  The question is, how will one use that power?

As with the contrasting shepherds of Ezekiel and Jesus, that power can be used for the good of the sheep, or it can be used to exploit the sheep.  Unfortunately, there are pastors who use their power to exploit and take advantage of vulnerable people in their congregations to satisfy their own needs, whether sexual or otherwise.  These pastors, too, know their sheep, and know who is vulnerable.  The woman who is struggling in a bad marriage and comes for counseling, the youth who is dealing with issues of sexuality or struggles at home, the recently divorced to widowed – all these are vulnerable.  But then again, anyone can become vulnerable depending on the circumstances.  And pastors who prey on their congregations can spot those vulnerabilities a mile away.  I could tell stories, but let’s just say some of them are rather unbelievable.

And when vulnerable people come in contact with abusive pastors, those people become victims.  And we need to be very clear – it is the pastor’s responsibility.  Pastors, like shepherds, are called to protect the vulnerable, not to take advantage of them.  When pastors begin to ask for secrets to be kept, or describe relationships as “special”, then they have become the thieves and robbers who steal and kill and destroy.  And when a pastor abuses someone in their congregation, it affects not only the individuals involved, but as I mentioned earlier, makes the whole congregation a victim.  I have watched congregations split in two over this.

Why do I bring this up, you may ask.  Well, it’s not because I am aware of anything or even suspect anything.  But it is a topic that I think every church member needs to be aware of, and one that I feel a certain amount of passion about.  Knowledge and awareness will help prevent some of this from happening, but it will not stop clergy who are predators from continuing to abuse their positions.  Clergy who act as bad shepherds, abusing their positions, hurt the entire church.  I as a pastor am diminished, congregations and individuals are victimized, and the cause of Christ is damaged. 

Anyone who is in a position of trust with another person, whether child or adult, runs the risk of abusing that trust.  Each of us may find ourselves in such a position, whether I as pastor, you as a Sunday School teacher, or in your work place.  Whatever those circumstances may be, when we are in such a position, we are called to follow the example of the Good Shepherd who protects the vulnerable and nurtures those in need. 

“I am the good shepherd,” Jesus said, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”