Shepherds and Hirelings

I am reading during Lent Robert Murray McCheyne’s, A Basket of Fragments. In describing the difference between the true shepherds of God’s flock and hirelings (see John 10), he writes:

“The grievous wolves are evidently those false teachers who bring in another gospel which is not another. See also Matthew 10: 16, ‘Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves’ etc.

“There you see the wolves are evidently those men who bring the sheep before the councils. The time when the wolf comes is the time to mark who the true shepherd is. He stands between them when heresy comes in, or when a persecuting world stretches out its hand towards them; that is the time for the true shepherd to stand between the fold and it; but ah! the hireling flees.”
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We do not need to have a ‘pastorate’ to be a shepherd. Parents are shepherds of their children – regardless of age. Friends can be shepherds to one another. Teachers can be shepherds to their students. Employers can be shepherds to their employees.

Or – they can each be hirelings.

There are many false and misleading values, philosophies and spiritualities in our culture. May God help each of us who calls Jesus ‘Lord’ to be true and faithful shepherds to those in our sphere of influence; To tell the truth even when the truth is not welcome.