Our daily reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of the chapters from that day's readings. Darllenwch rhain yn Gymraeg.
Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.
Zechariah continues to bring a message about leaders and their people, using the common biblical metaphor of shepherds and sheep – and his words are a devastating critique, without a ray of hope. He speaks like someone who is utterly disillusioned and disgusted with the behaviour of both groups, but the shepherds are the ones on the receiving end of the most stinging curse, in verse 17.
A shepherd’s prime responsibility is to care for his sheep, as a guide, provider, healer and defender. So this is the way that God expects all leaders, whether in religion, government, business or family, to express their authority. When Jesus identifies himself as the ‘good shepherd [who] lays down his life for the sheep’, he is modelling this high standard, in contrast with the ‘hired hand [who] sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep’ (John 10.11–12). But the shepherds described by Zechariah are worse than cowards; they deliberately exploit and harm the creatures put into their care.
The ‘thirty shekels of silver’ in verse 13 remind us, of course, of the price paid to Judas Iscariot for his betrayal of Jesus, the ‘good shepherd’. This was the compensation due, according to Exodus 21.43, for injury to a slave – an insulting sum at which to value a prophet or, indeed, the son of God.
Many Bible passages that speak of judgement also include a hint of redemption, but this one does not. Often it’s right to look for the positive, stay optimistic, try to nourish any spark of goodness when it appears. At other times we simply cannot gloss over the truth of a thoroughly bad situation. When leaders have no intention of caring for the people they are responsible for, our only option is lament, with a prayer that their power will be removed from them.
Shepherd-God, we pray for our leaders. Please strengthen those who do their best to care for us, but deliver us from those whose actions are damaging.
This reflection was written by Lisa Cherrett, Editorial Project Manager in the Publishing team
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