WEEK 51 – DAY 4

A SHEPHERD’S REWARD

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. I Peter 5:1-4

We don’t use the word lucre much these days, but its derivative, lucrative, is used frequently. I always sense a red flag when someone says, “This could be a really lucrative deal.” I’m sure they mean profitable; but in my mind, there is a connotation of not quite legitimate or possibly taking advantage of someone. There are some ministers that appear to shepherd not as servants, but for private gain. I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of them in the headlines, sporting large houses and fancy cars purchased with money sent in by their followers. Jesus warns those who shepherd his people to be eager to serve and to lead by example rather than imposing their way on those in their care (Matthew 20:25-27). Susan and I both have been blessed to have a couple of pastors who really took this passage to heart and reflected the heart of the Good Shepherd, Jesus. We are pleased to read that they will receive “the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

Father, thank you for the godly examples we’ve had in many pastors and Sunday school teachers. Thank you for promising them a permanent reward.