[hosepipe]

Originally Posted by OBW

I like your thinking here.

I have given the hireling a few thoughts over recent years, and while I cannot say I know what it is about, it does not seem to simply be about being paid. If you think about it, any shepherd is paid. They aren't volunteers. If they were, since the job is non-stop, they would eventually starve.

Instead, I think the issue is the connection, or lack of connection, with the sheep. The point of "hireling" does not seem to be about the money as much as the lack of reference to actually being a shepherd. One is a shepherd and the other is a hireling. One cares for the sheep. The other does not, but does enough to get paid and go home.

So a "pastor" is not necessarily a hireling. Unless he is in it for the money and not for the people. We like the idea of them being more closely connected with the "flock" than being some outsider. But even if you take the metaphor to ridiculous extremes, shepherds are not sheep that rose up to become shepherds. They are men who chose a career, even if only for a while, of taking care of sheep. So nothing in the metaphor can make the shepherd "one" with the sheep. I'm not saying that in the point of the metaphor our spiritual shepherds cannot be one with us. It is just that the metaphor is unable to deal with that aspect. You either need to bring in another metaphor to cover that, or simply say it.

Besides the aberrant aspects of the LRC, they are no more a "sheep pen" than any other church. Jesus was looking at what was and declaring that he was there to bring the sheep out to pasture. It was not about something wrong with churches. It seems to be more about taking the Jews to the "next level" so-to-speak. And the hirelings were ones who attempted to be their leaders, but could not stand against adversity. Or more pointedly (by comparison to a shepherd) were not there for the purpose of caring for the sheep.

According to the metaphor there is only one pastor/shepherd... "the gate" not many..

Which calls into question what did Jesus mean by; "feed my sheep" in a comment to Peter.. also "you must eat my flesh and drink my blood".. spoken the nite before he was crucified(passover).. all of them being metaphorical references..

References I think to the "lamb of God" and sacrifice generally.. i.e. pascal lamb... personal sacrifice being the food, passover being the model..

About teaching it is said, "the Holy Spirit will teach you all things"..
Most of Christianity(in my experience) seems to have cut the Holy Spirit right out of the loop..
Making him a doofus in the meetings.. (if possible).. He may not be there..
Meetings seem to be a show or Kabuki theater with masks, strange(different) sounds and posturing.. to an audience..

At any rate the metaphors in the new (and old testaments) may need revisiting with much prayer to the Holy Spirit for clarity maybe even revelation.. Cause I think maybe orthodox teachings may have missed "the point(s)"..

Salvation may not be only for the smart ones but for the dumb ones as well..
i.e.. Mormons, JW's, RCC, even Baptists..