Which One Are You?
Which One Are You?
A five part series. Part one.
The Hireling
“But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.”
John 10:12
The difference between the hireling and the shepherd is that the hireling doesn’t care for the sheep. He is a hired hand that is paid to look after the sheep - but his emotional investment isn’t there.
We’ve all watched the hireling. They are paid to do a job - and they usually don’t care how it gets done. They lack people and communication skills. Their know-how and knowledge base is limited. And their authenticity seems shallow. It always appears that their heart isn’t in it. They sometimes have an ulterior motive. Sometimes money is the motivator.
The hireling in this parable that Jesus talks about is a contrast. A very stark contrast.
This hireling saw the wolf coming and ran.
He wasn’t paid enough to protect the sheep and fend off the wolf. He lacked the wisdom to see what was coming, lacked the courage to stand up to the wolf and lacked the heart to do anything to protect the sheep. And the result, the sheep were scattered and most likely harmed or killed.
Most often the hireling can look like a shepherd and is most often confused for a shepherd. The hireling may even talk the talk, but when the time comes, he didn’t walk the walk.
Jesus wouldn’t let this happen, neither would a Shepherd.
Preachers and Pastors are the Shepherds - not a hired hand. Jesus looks after the flock because He cares and has given His life for us. In this parable, Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
Christians should be the same way. We are in the family of God. We should stand up for what we believe in and we should protect our flock.
We should be ready for the attack, willing to defend against it and do anything and everything with our heart and soul to protect it at all cost.
We are a family. We aren’t hired hands. We are Christians. We are citizens of Heaven.
You will either be a sheep, a hireling, a shepherd, a sheepdog or a wolf.
The sheep are the flock. The believers.
The shepherd watches over the flock.
The sheepdog is part of the flock and is there to guard the flock from the wolf.
The wolf will do anything to get at the flock.
The hireling is just a hired hand.
Which one are you?
Be more.
In this series we will discuss each role. Stay tuned.
“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:1-4