 |
|
     |
|
|
|
Psalm 23:1: The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
At Jesus' birth, shepherds come to worship Him because He is the chief Shepherd. He is Shepherd Yahweh in human flesh. He is the Shepherd of Israel. He is the Davidic king who will shepherd His people with skillful hands. All who came before Him are thieves and robbers, but there in the manger is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.
The difference between good shepherds and wicked shepherds boils down to this: Good shepherds feed their sheep, while evil shepherds devour their sheep. That's what Ezekiel says, and that's what we see in the life of Jesus. Jesus spreads a table in the wilderness for 5000 while Herod celebrates his birthday by serving up the head of John the Baptist. Jesus lifts burdens from His sheep, while the Pharisees pile burdens on them. Jesus welcomes publicans and sinners to His table, while the Pharisees refuse even to touch them.
That is what this table is all about, of course. This table belongs to Jesus, King Jesus. This table is the table of the Good Shepherd, the incarnate Shepherd of Israel. He invites the lame and the weak, the outcast and the leper, the publican and the sinner, and promises to feed us all abundantly. He is the true David, who invites lame Mephibosheth to His table.
This table shows us that Jesus is our Shepherd, and we shall not want. He makes us lie down in green pastures. He leads us beside still waters. He restores our souls. He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil, for He is with us and His rod and His staff comfort us. He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies.
This table tells us that goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, and that we will dwell in the house of the Lord, our Good Shepherd, forever.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 08:26 AM
Permission is given to use material on this site, provided the source is cited, blog entries are republished in full, and the author is notified in advance.
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
