A Shepherd Who Smells Like the Sheep

It may sound odd, but one of the greatest qualities of Pastor Bear, a man who has been in ministry at MVBC for 25 years, is that he “smells like the sheep.” No, it doesn’t mean that he smells dirty or wooly, but it shows his desire to spend quality time with the flock of God that has been entrusted to him.

In the first month that I was here, the indicative I heard most from Pastor Bear is that we as shepherds need to spend a good portion of our time with the sheep. We must visit them, pray with them, eat with them, weep with them, and most of all, we must direct them to Scripture. When that happens, Pastor Bear would say that the shepherd “smells like the sheep.” It means that the shepherd is spending time with the flock, and as such, he is not aloof or distant, but he is among and present with them in their triumphs and their trials.

This is a perfect description of our pastor. Many times, I have called on individuals in our body, only to find out that Pastor Bear had already stopped by and prayed with them. Other times, I have been informed of a need within the congregation, and Pastor Bear has already taken care of that need. This is a mark of a faithful shepherd; one who cares deeply about those entrusted to him, and one who desires to walk with them in faith.

So what drives this kind of shepherding? What is it that makes a pastor faithful to care deeply for souls? I think it comes down to 2 passions: a passion for the Word, and a passion for the people. Let’s look at each of these in turn.

PASSION FOR THE WORD

In order to accurately care for sheep, you first need to know how to care for sheep. Seems rather simple, right? Unfortunately, so many pastors get caught up in growth schemes, 5-step plans, or other gimmicks to ensure that the church is taken care of. Rather than looking to Scripture for guidance, they look to the world for the new fad.

Scripture is very clear how shepherds ought to care for the sheep (1 Peter 5:2–3), and therefore shepherds ought to follow what Scripture has instructed. We know that Scripture is profitable for all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3), and so as those who care for God’s people, we look to Scripture as our guide.

Pastor Bear would be the first to tell you that there is no better source of truth than Scripture, and how he cares for the flock demonstrates his love for the Word of God. Just recently, he mentioned to a group of guys that his goal in ministry is faithfulness; its not about reaching a certain number of congregants, or having the flashiest ministry (whatever that means), but he desires to live and shepherd according to the Word. Pastor Bear has a passion for Scripture, and it shows in how he shepherds the flock.

PASSION FOR THE PEOPLE

Second, if you want to care for the sheep, you must care for the sheep. That sounds redundant, but it needs to be understood. If a shepherd does not love the flock, he will not take good care of it. Jesus describes this issue with a similar illustration. He says, “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees—and the wolf snatches and scatters them—because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep” (John 10:12–13).

When a pastor does not have a love for the people, it shows. He will often neglect to spend time with the people, and distance himself from them. As a result, the flock is either left un-tended and subject to wolves, or it suffers silently without care. Pastors must love the sheep if they are to care for the sheep.

That is probably one of the best lessons I have learned from Pastor Bear. Seminary does an excellent job instructing future pastors in how to teach the Word and the necessity of caring for the congregation, but the latter cannot really be taught in a classroom; it must be modeled and exemplified. It is hard to tell someone that they need to love others without showing them what it means to love others. Pastor Bear has been a great mentor in that way. In the times that we have spent visiting congregants or counseling others, I am always amazed by his thoughtfulness and simple gestures of compassion that show how much he cares for the flock.

These marks of a faithful shepherd are true of Pastor Bear, and for that we give praise to the Great Shepherd, who has guided this undershepherd for 25 years at MVBC. May the Lord grant him many more years of faithfulness, all for HIS glory.