We can distinguish between good pastors and pseudo-pastors by what they do when danger and difficulty arise. The pseudo-pastor uploads his resume to job boards and hits the road. The good pastor stays, exhibiting courage, grit, and love. He lays down his life to fight off a wolf, even when the wolf arises from within the flock (Acts 20:29–30).

Abstract

Marc Sims encourages pastors to follow the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, based on John 10:10–11. Christ remains faithful to his sheep in the face of danger because of his care for them. Likewise, pastors who care for their people will be motivated to remain faithful rather than simply leaving when they face the trials and challenges of ministry.

Being a pastor is a tremendous privilege, but it’s also hard. It always has been. Pastoring requires a strange mixture of skill sets and a high standard of holiness. And the internet age has only added new challenges, as pastors are expected to weigh in on any and every topic. Add to all that the burden of the “weight of souls”¹ that lies on pastors, and it’s easy to see why pastoring presents a unique temptation—the temptation to leave.

In light of these challenges and heavy responsibilities, what compels a pastor to stay and remain faithful to his flock? To answer that, we need to hear the words of the Good Shepherd.

The Good Pastor

In Jesus’s famous teaching on “The Good Shepherd,” he identifies a difference between good pastors and bad pastors. (The Greek word for “shepherd” can also be translated as “pastor.”)

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. (John 10:11–12)

Jesus is the Good Pastor, the Pastor that you and I cannot be. You and I are limited, sinful, and expendable, while Jesus is a bottomless fountain, perfect and irreplaceable. Yet Jesus’s model of shepherding serves as a good picture of what we should be like as pastors.

We can distinguish between good pastors and pseudo-pastors by what they do when danger and difficulty arise. The pseudo-pastor uploads his resume to job boards and hits the road. The good pastor stays, exhibiting courage, grit, and love. He lays down his life to fight off a wolf, even when the wolf arises from within the flock (Acts 20:29–30).

But why would he do that? Once again, contrast him with a shepherd who: “flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (John 10:13). The good pastor stays because he cares for those whom he leads. This doesn’t mean that there are never good reasons for a pastor to leave his flock. It may even be a loving thing to step aside and let another shepherd provide the care and leadership a church needs during a particular season. But the ordinary posture of a pastor toward his church should not be to run just because things get difficult. We preach, pray, love, and stay.

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