The good shepherd

Woe to the shepherds
who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the LORD.
Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
against the shepherds who shepherd my people:
You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.
You have not cared for them,
but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.
I myself will gather the remnant of my flock
from all the lands to which I have driven them
and bring them back to their meadow;
there they shall increase and multiply.
I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them
so that they need no longer fear and tremble;
and none shall be missing, says the LORD  -Jeremiah Chapter 23

This was one of the readings I heard in church last Sunday.

One thing that does not immediately register with a modern reader is the fact that sheep (and other livestock) are mobile wealth. Other common forms of wealth in that era (timber, fish, sheaves of wheat, clay vessels filled with wine, areable land) were not mobile. 

Sheep were THE prime target for major theft. Once stolen, they were like dollar bills, virtually impossible to identify as to the previous owner.

Loss of a significant portion of the flock was likely to be an extinction-level event for the family. The additional protein, fat, fiber and income from the flock was likely to be the difference between successfully raising children or having them die. So in one sense, stealing sheep was worse than a single, isolated homicide.

Yes, lions, bears, leopards, hyenas, wolves, boars, jackals and cheetahs were native to the Holy Land and would gladly feast on sheep, but the apex predator walked on two legs.

Reread the selection from Jeramiah after envisioning untrustworthy neighbors or a tribe from slipping in from the desert. They wait for the shepherd to fall asleep before bashing him in the head and then leading the sheep away.

Woe to the shepherds
who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the LORD.
Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
against the shepherds who shepherd my people:
You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.
You have not cared for them,
but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.
I myself will gather the remnant of my flock
from all the lands to which I have driven them
and bring them back to their meadow;
there they shall increase and multiply.
I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them
so that they need no longer fear and tremble;
and none shall be missing, says the LORD  -Jeremiah Chapter 23

The job of being a shepherd is not what Hallmark Cards would lead you to believe.

It was facing down lions and boars and bears at the end of a 6' spear.

It was sleepless nights as the "Gypsies" prowled about the flock looking for a weakness.

It was countless miles of walking and weeks away from family.

It was drinking bitter water and enduring sleet and frost at night and lightning among the high meadows.

It was following your internal compass and disregarding the blandishments of hucksters and quick-buck artists.

It is proving that you are not a man to trifle with. That you are a man of unbending principal.

We should pray that we match that description.