Feeding the Sheep

Above all else, according to Martin Luther, a preacher must be apt to teach. In saying this, Luther was simply echoing the apostolic qualification set forth in the New Testament for the position of elder (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9). But for Luther, this was the primary task of the minister. He believed that anyone elevated to a position of leadership in the church and given oversight of the flock must be able to teach.

This concept is almost lost in the church today. Contemporary churches demand that pastors be able administrators, strong fundraisers, efficient organizers, and so forth. It’s also nice if they know a little theology and Bible so that they are able to preach interesting and even entertaining sermons. But serious teaching of the things of God is rarely a priority when pulpit committees begin evaluating ministers. And yet, Jesus told Peter, not once but three times, to feed His sheep. His meaning is not difficult to discern. The people of God in the congregations of churches belong to Jesus, just as we have learned from Romans. He has redeemed them; they are His. And He wants them to be cared for. Thus, every minister who is ordained is entrusted by God with the care of these sheep. That’s why the minister is called a “pastor”—he is an undershepherd of the Good Shepherd. And just as no good shepherd will neglect to feed his sheep, no pastor should neglect to give the sheep of Christ under his care what they need to survive and thrive. And what is the food they need? What are they to be taught? Luther said that, above all, they need the content of Scripture. They need to be taught the Bible. They need to hear the things of God.

There is a distinction between preaching (which involves exhortation, exposition, admonition, encouragement, comforting, and so forth) and teaching (which involves the transfer of information and instruction). But the number one thing a preacher is responsible to do is to teach the things of God. Modern ministers would do well to follow the examples set by Luther and Calvin, who produced voluminous commentaries on the books of the Bible simply by teaching through those books nearly every day. A half-hour sermon on Sunday morning is not sufficient to keep the lambs of Christ well-fed. They need to be fed the contents of Scripture, and the more the better. The preacher is called to do the feeding.