THE CHILDREN'S SHEPHERD
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First, the person who is called to feed the lambs.
Simon Peter was not a Welshman—but he had a great deal of what we know as Welsh fire in him. He was just the sort of man to interest the young. Children delight to gather round a fire, whether it be on the hearth or in the heart. Certain people appear to be made of ice, and from these children speedily shrink away. Congregations or classes grow smaller every Sunday when cold-blooded creatures preside over them. But when a man or a woman has a kindly heart, the children seem to gather readily, just as flies in autumn days swarm on a warm, sunny wall. Therefore Jesus says to warm-hearted Simon, "Feed My lambs!" He is the man for the office.
Simon Peter was, moreover, an experienced man. He had known his own weakness; he had felt the pangs of conscience; he had sinned much and had been much forgiven, and now he was brought in tender humility to confess the love and loveliness of Jesus. We want experienced men and women to talk to converted children, and to tell them what the Lord has done for them, and what have been their dangers, their sins, their sorrows, and their comforts. The young are glad to hear the story of those who have been further along the road than they have. I may say of experienced saints—their lips preserve knowledge. Experience lovingly narrated, is suitable food for young believers, instruction such as the Lord is likely to bless to their nourishing in grace.
Simon Peter was now a greatly indebted man. He owed much to Jesus Christ, according to that rule of the Kingdom, "he loves much—to whom much has been forgiven."
Oh, you who have never entered upon this service for Christ, and yet might do it well, come forward at once and say, "I have left this work to younger hands—but I will do so no longer. I have experience, and I trust I yet retain a warm heart within my bosom; I will go and join these workers, who are steadily feeding the lambs in the name of the Lord."
Thus far, as to the person who is called to feed the lambs.
When the Lord calls a man to a work, He gives him thepreparation necessary for it. How was Peter prepared for feeding Christ's lambs?
First, by being fed himself. The Lord gave him a breakfast before giving him a commission. You cannot feed lambs, or sheep either—unless you are first fed yourself. It is quite right for you to be teaching a great part of the Lord's day; but I think a teacher is very unwise who does not first come to hear the gospel preached and get a meal for his own soul. First be fed—and then feed.
But especially Peter was prepared for feeding the lambs, by being with his Master. He would never forget that morning, and all the incidents of it. It was Christ's voice that he heard; it was Christ's look that pierced him to the heart. He breathed the air which surrounded the risen Lord, and this fellowship with Jesus perfumed Peter's heart and tuned Peter's speech, that he might afterwards go forth and feed the lambs.
I commend to you the study of instructive books—but above all I commend the study of Christ Himself. Let Him be your library. Get near to Jesus. An hour's communion with Jesus—is the best preparation for teaching either the young or the old.
Peter was also prepared in a more painful way than that—namely, by self-examination. The question came to him thrice over, "Simon, son of Jonah, Do you love Me? Do you love Me? Do you love Me?" Often the vessel needs scouring with self-examination, before the Lord can fitly use it to convey the living water to thirsting ones. It never hurts a true-hearted man to search his own spirit, and to be searched and tried by his Lord. It is the hypocrite who is afraid of the truth which tests his profession: trying discourses, and trying meditations—he dreads. But the genuine man wants to know for certain, that he really does love Christ, and therefore he looks within him—and questions and cross-questions himself.
Mainly that examination should be exercised concerning our love; for the best preparation for teaching Christ's lambs is love—love to Jesus and to them. We cannot be priests on their behalf, unless like Aaron we wear their names upon our breasts. We must love—or we cannot bless. Teaching is poor work—when love is gone; it is like a black-smith working without fire, or a builder without mortar. A shepherd who does not love his sheep—is a hireling and not a shepherd. He will flee in the time of danger, and leave his flock to the wolf. Where there is no love—there will be no life; living lambs are not to be fed bydead men. We preach and teach love—our subject is the love of God in Christ Jesus. How can we teach this—if we have no love ourselves? Our object is to create love in the hearts of those we teach, and to foster it where it already exists; but how can we convey the fire if it is not kindled in our own hearts? How can he promote the flame whose hands are damp, and dripping with worldliness and indifference, so that he acts on the child's heart rather as a bucket of water—than as a flame of fire?
These lambs of the flock live in the love of Christ—shall they not live in our love? He calls them His lambs, and so they are; shall we not love them for His sake? They were chosen in love; they were redeemed in love; they have been called in love; they have been washed in love; they have been fed by love, and they will be kept by love until they come to the green pastures on the hilltops of heaven. You and I will be out of gear with the vast machinery of divine love—unless our souls are full of affectionate zeal for the good of the beloved ones. Love is the grandest preparation for the ministry, whether exercised in the congregation, or in the class. Love—and then feed. If you love—feed. If you do not love—then wait until the Lord has quickened you, and lay not your unhallowed hand to this sacred service!
With the weak of the flock, with the new converts in the flock, with the young children in the flock—our principal business is to FEED. Every sermon, every lesson, should be a feeding sermon and a feeding lesson. It is of little use to stand and thump the Bible and call out, "Believe, believe, believe!" when nobody knows what is to be believed. I see no use in fiddles and tambourines; neither lambs nor sheep can be fed upon brass bands. There must be doctrine—solid, sound, gospel doctrine to constitute real feeding.
When you have a joint of meat on the table—then ring the dinner-bell; but the bell alone, feeds nobody if no food is served up. Getting children to meet in the morning and the afternoon is a waste of both their steps and yours—if you do not set before them soul-saving, soul-sustaining truth! Feed the lambs; you need not play music to them, nor put garlands round their necks; nor entertain them in any way—but do feed them!
This feeding is humble, lowly, unostentatious work. Do you know the name of any shepherd? I have known the names of one or two shepherds—but I never heard anybody speak of them as great men. Their names are not in the papers, nor are they before the public eye. Shepherds are generally quiet, unobtrusive people. When you look at the shepherd, you would not see any difference between him and the ploughman. The shepherd plods on uncomplainingly through the winter, and in the early spring he has no rest night or day because the lambs are needing him. This he does year after year, and yet he will never be made a Knight, nor even be exalted to a Noble, albeit he may have done far more useful work than those who are floated into fame. Just so in the case of many a faithful teacher of young children; you hear but little about him—yet he is doing grand work for which future ages will call him blessed. His Master knows all about him, and we shall hear of him in that great and final day; but perhaps not until then.
Feeding the lambs is careful work, too—for lambs cannot be fed on anything you please, especially Christ's lambs. You can soon half-poison young believers with bad teaching. Christ's lambs are all too apt to eat herbs which are injurious—we need to be cautious where we lead them. If men are to take heed what they hear—how much more should we take heed what weteach. It is careful work—the feeding of each lamb separately, and the teaching of each child by itself the truth which it is best able to receive.
Moreover, this is continuous work. "Feed My lambs," is not for a season—but for all time. Lambs could not live if the shepherd only fed them once a week. They would die between Sundays; therefore good teachers of the young look after them all the days of the week as they have opportunity, and they are careful to feed their souls with prayer and holy examplewhen they are not teaching them by word of mouth. The shepherding of lambs is daily, hourly work. When is a shepherd's work over? How many hours a day does he labor? He will tell you that in lambing-time, he is never done. He sleeps just when he is able, taking much less than forty winks, and then rousing himself for action. It is so with those who feed Christ's lambs; they rest not until God saves and sanctifies their dear ones.
It is laborious work, too. At the least, he who does not labor at it will have a terrible account to render. Do you think a minister's life is an easy one? I tell you that he who makes it so—will find it hard enough when he comes to the day of judgment! Nothing so exhausts a man who is called to it—as the care of souls. Just so it is in measure, with all who teach—they cannot do good without spending themselves.
You must study the lesson; you must bring forth something fresh to your class; you must instruct and impress. I have no doubt you are often driven very hard for matter, and wonder how you will get through the next Lord's-day. I know you are sorely pressed at times, if you are worth your salt. You dare not rush to your class unprepared, and offer to the Lord that which costs you nothing. There must be labor—if the food is to be wisely placed before the lambs, so that they can receive it.
And all this has to be done in a singularly choice spirit; the true shepherd spirit is an amalgam of many precious graces. He is hot with zeal—but he is not fiery with passion; he is gentle—and yet he rules his class; he is loving—but he does not wink at sin; he has power over the lambs—but he is not domineering or sharp; he has cheerfulness—but not levity; he has freedom—but not license; he has solemnity—but not gloom. He who cares for lambs—should be a lamb himself! And blessed be God, there is a Lamb before the throne who cares for all of us, and does so the more effectually, because He is in all things made like unto us.
The shepherd spirit is a rare and priceless gift! A successful pastor or a successful teacher in a school will be found to have special characteristics, which distinguish him from his fellows. A bird when it is sitting on its eggs, or when the little ones are newly-hatched, has about it a mother-spirit, so that it devotes all its life to the feeding of its little ones. Other birds may be taking their pleasure on the wing—but this bird sits still the long day and night, or else its only flights are to provide for gaping mouths which seem to be never filled. A passion has taken possession of the bird; and something like it comes over the true soul-winner: he would gladly die to win souls! He pines, he pleads, he plods to bless those on whom his heart is set. He would pawn half his heaven—if these souls could but be saved! And sometimes, in moments of enthusiasm he is ready to barter heaven altogether to win souls; and, like Paul, he could wish himself accursed, so that they were but saved. This blessed zeal, many cannot understand, because they never felt it. May the Holy Spirit work it in us, so shall we act as true shepherds towards the lambs. This, then, is the work: "Feed My lambs!"
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