A Pastor's Responsibility
Ezekiel 34:2-6 gives us a picture of a Pastor's responsibility to his congregation. The passage gives us both the "do's" and the "don'ts" of a Pastor's ministry.
"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?...but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them."
A Pastor's responsibility is very great. He is charged by the Word of God to "feed the flock". I believe that feeding the flock implies feeding God's people His Word. It is the Shepherd, or, Pastor's responsibility to not only understand and study the Bible for himself, but also to pass on his knowledge to the members of his church through teaching and preaching.
Some of the Shepherds in this passage were guilty of not feeding the Word of God to their flocks, however, teaching and preaching are not a Pastor's only obligations. The Shepherds are also rebuked in this passage for not strengthening the diseased, healing the sick and binding up the broken. I believe this is a picture of the tender care a Pastor ought to take of his church. He ought not to see his flock struggling under the weight of their sins. Rather, it is his sacred duty to lovingly confront, rebuke and restore those who have gone astray into sin. This text gives a picture of the healing and forgiveness that are available to sinners if only the Shepherd would care enough to minister to his people.
PASTORS NEED TO BE MORE CARING AND MORE LOVING. THE FIRST THING A PERSON LOOKS FOR WHEN THEY COME TO CHURCH IS LOVE...1 John 4:8-He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. PASTORS ALSO NEED TO STOP ABUSING THEIR POWER AND USE THE POWER GOD HAS GIVEN THEM FOR HELPING OTHER'S AND SHOWING OTHER'S THAT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE..AMEN and GOD BLESS.
