Wicker Park Lutheran Church
Vicar Kornelius Koppel
May 11, 2025
The most famous shepherd in Chicago, or the States or the world is LEO. However even Leaders like Presidents are shepherds. At any rate, in the spirit of antiquity and in the spirit of the Bible, they can be described as a shepherd. Because in ancient times, leaders of states were compared to shepherds, people in higher positions who had to lead others. Our top managers could therefore also be called “shepherds”, as they are responsible for many thousands of employees. And we pastors are of course also shepherds, because we lead parishes. The Latin word “pastor” means nothing other than “shepherd”.
In biblical times, leading figures were called “shepherds” because every child knew what a real shepherd was and did; accordingly, this could then be transferred to a human shepherd. A real shepherd had to lead a herd of small livestock, sheep and goats. It was not a quiet job, it was a responsible task. The shepherds had to travel long distances with their flocks. The sheep and goats had to be taken to where there was good pasture and, above all, water. They had to be defended against wild animals. Lost animals had to be searched for and injured animals had to be given medical treatment. A shepherd was not only a guardian, but also a tour guide, nanny, doctor and lion tamer. Just like a good politician should be, or a manager, or a pastor.
In the Bible, we find many examples of shepherds, both good and bad. Some of them were real shepherds at first, but later became shepherds of men: Moses, for example, or King Saul, or King David. However, the Old Testament also repeatedly contains the prophetic announcement that God would send a very special shepherd for his people Israel. With this good shepherd, God would no longer leave his flock to unreliable people but would take care of them himself. God fulfilled this promise with Jesus. Jesus himself expressly said: “I am the good shepherd.” The good shepherd foretold by the prophets. The good shepherd through whom God himself takes care of his flock, because Jesus is the Son of God. All people are God’s property, and the people of Israel are his special people, his special flock. That is why God’s Son, as co-owner, is the good shepherd. He is therefore not a hired hand who only sees shepherding as a job to earn money.
Jesus is the best example of a shepherd that can be found in the Bible and in the world in general. And we are his people, sheep in his flock. It is not about us taking Jesus as our role model, because most of us are not shepherds ourselves. Rather, it is about us realizing from the sheep’s perspective what a great shepherd we have. If you want, you can now close your eyes and imagine in your mind’s eye what today’s Gospel shows us of our good shepherd Jesus.
The good shepherd knows his sheep and they know him. He knows them by name. He says: “JACKSON, don’t push so hard at the water trough, the others want to drink too!”
And he says: “Don’t be shy Georgia, get up to the water trough or you’ll die of thirst!” He sees that Emily is tangled up in a thorn bush and helps her out. He gently dabs oil on the bloody scratches on her head. Emily bleats pitifully and the shepherd gives her a good talking to: “I know, Emily, it hurts a bit now, but it will soon be better!”
But where is Stan? The shepherd always keeps an eye on the whole flock and knows exactly when a sheep is missing. “Stan!” calls the shepherd, and again: “Stan!” But Stan doesn’t come. So the shepherd takes his crook and sets off to look for Stan. He doesn’t have long to go before he hears a few pitiful sounds coming from a crevice in the rock. Stan has got into it on a high-spirited discovery tour and can’t get out again. The shepherd wraps the curve of his staff around Stan’s body and pulls him out. Ashamed, the runaway trots after the shepherd, back to the herd.
Suddenly, a dangerous growl can be heard from the edge of the forest. The sheep flinch, the shepherd turns around – and finds himself face to face with a big, bad, dangerous wolf. In biblical times, everyone knew how dangerous wolves were – especially when they were hungry! Such a wolf is now standing opposite the flock, ready to pounce on them at any moment and tear the sheep to pieces. The shepherd turns pale. If he was only a shepherd to earn money, he would run away now and leave the flock to the beast. But the sheep are his property, they are close to his heart, he knows them all by name. So he gathers all his courage, grabs his staff and faces the wolf to fend it off. How will the battle end – man against beast, shepherd against wolf?
If the shepherd were David, this would be a cinematic heroic tale. The young, fearless David would be fighting with his slingshot; he would accurately wound the wolf in the head and then beat him so badly with his shepherd’s staff that he would not dare approach the flock again any time soon. But the shepherd is not David, he is the son of David, Jesus. The wolf pounces on the good shepherd and tears him down, and then kills him in rage – but this satisfies him and he trots back into the forest. The sheep escape unscathed.
“The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,” said Jesus. The Good shepherd is a little lamb, too for us. Can a shepherd do more for his flock? Hardly, that is the best shepherd. Our shepherd Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for us on the cross and sacrificed like a lamb at the temple.
From a human perspective, this is of course completely unrealistic. What real shepherd would willingly go to his death for his sheep? After all, the sheep are there to die for their owner, not the owner for them! But we are dealing here with God’s wisdom, which is quite different from human wisdom. The word of the cross of Jesus is, humanly rationally speaking, foolishness. That is why we repeatedly encounter people who have no access at all to Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. This is because they believe in their own reason rather than in God’s word. But God’s word says simply and clearly: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
And what happens to the sheep after the death of the shepherd? Well, it has become Easter! The shepherd has risen from the dead! He is still alive today and is still the best shepherd in the world. Even today he calls his sheep by name, even today he lovingly cares for them.
Let us pray:
Thank you gracious God, for our shepherd Jesus Christ, the best shepherd there is. And we can rejoice in him and be very grateful. who knows well how to feed us, / who loves us, who knows us /hears us and calls me and you by name.”
Amen.