Zechariah 11:7-17: a reflection

7So I fed the flock to be slaughtered, especially the oppressed of the flock. I took for myself two staffs. The one I called “Favor” and the other I called “Union”, and I fed the flock. 8I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me. 9Then I said, “I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those who are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10I took my staff Favor and cut it apart, that I might break my covenant that I had made with all the peoples. 11It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was the LORD’s word. 12I said to them, “If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them.” So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13The LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter—the handsome price that I was valued at by them!” I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the LORD’s house. 14Then I cut apart my other staff, Union, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15The LORD said to me, “Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces. 17Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”

In a striking allegory, the prophet contrasts a faithful shepherd who cares for the flock with a worthless shepherd who abandons and exploits it. The worthless shepherd, God says, will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep. This is the picture of bad, selfish leadership: a shepherd who does not care for the flock but uses it, who ignores the lost, neglects the broken, does not feed the sound, but feeds himself at the flock's expense. Against such a shepherd God pronounces woe. And the contrast points, by opposition, to the true shepherd who does the very things the worthless one neglects: seeks the lost, heals the broken, feeds the flock, cares for them rather than exploiting them. This is the shepherd God's people need, and the shepherd Christ came to be, the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost and lays down his life for the sheep. The worthless shepherd exploits the flock; the Good Shepherd cares for it.

Notice the marks of the worthless shepherd, and, by contrast, of the good. The worthless shepherd neglects the lost, the broken, the scattered; he does not feed or heal or seek; he uses the flock for his own gain, feeding himself at its expense. This is a portrait of selfish, exploitative leadership, and God pronounces woe on it. By opposition, it shows what a true shepherd is: one who seeks the lost, heals the broken, feeds the flock, cares for them rather than himself. This is what God's people need, and what the worthless shepherd is not. And it points to Christ, the Good Shepherd, who is everything the worthless shepherd is not: he seeks the lost sheep, heals the broken, feeds his flock, and lays down his life for them. The contrast between the worthless shepherd who exploits and the Good Shepherd who cares is stark; and it is Christ who fulfills the picture of the shepherd who truly cares for the flock. Christ is the Good Shepherd the worthless one only mocks by contrast.

That is worth resting in, for Christ is the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost, heals the broken, and cares for his flock, unlike the worthless shepherd who exploits it. We can be wounded by leaders and shepherds who neglect and exploit rather than care, who feed themselves at the flock's expense, as the worthless shepherd did; but the contrast points to Christ, the Good Shepherd, who seeks the lost, heals the broken, feeds his flock, and lays down his life for the sheep. Whatever poor shepherds we have known, Christ is the true one who truly cares. When you have been failed by worthless shepherds, rest in Christ, the Good Shepherd who seeks and heals and cares. Rest in Christ, the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost, heals the broken, and cares for his flock, unlike the worthless shepherd who neglects and exploits the flock and feeds himself at its expense, as the prophet pronounced woe on the shepherd who would not seek the scattered or heal the broken; for God's people need not a shepherd who exploits them but one who cares for them, and Christ is that Good Shepherd, everything the worthless shepherd is not, who seeks the lost sheep and lays down his life for them, so that whatever poor shepherds have failed us, Christ is the true one who truly cares.

Lord, in a striking allegory, the prophet contrasts a faithful shepherd who cares for the flock with a worthless shepherd who abandons and exploits it. The worthless shepherd, you say, will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep. This is the picture of bad, selfish leadership: a shepherd who does not care for the flock but uses it, who ignores the lost, neglects the broken, but feeds himself at the flock's expense. Against such a shepherd you pronounce woe. And the contrast points to the true shepherd who does the very things the worthless one neglects, the shepherd Christ came to be. Show me the marks of the worthless shepherd, and, by contrast, of the good. The worthless shepherd neglects the lost, the broken, the scattered; he uses the flock for his own gain. This is a portrait of selfish, exploitative leadership, and you pronounce woe on it. By opposition, it shows what a true shepherd is: one who seeks the lost, heals the broken, feeds the flock, cares for them rather than himself. And it points to Christ, the Good Shepherd, who is everything the worthless shepherd is not: he seeks the lost sheep, heals the broken, feeds his flock, and lays down his life for them. Let me rest in that, for Christ is the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost, heals the broken, and cares for his flock. I can be wounded by leaders who neglect and exploit rather than care; but the contrast points to Christ, the Good Shepherd. Whatever poor shepherds I have known, Christ is the true one who truly cares. When I have been failed by worthless shepherds, help me rest in Christ, Lord, the Good Shepherd who seeks and heals and cares, who lays down his life for the sheep.