Matthew 9: 36-37 “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  Jesus made this statement in a ministry or work setting, but it applies to leaders at home as well.  When people, like sheep, have no leader or shepherd, they also become harassed and helpless.  A shepherd leader is to protect, provide and lead from the front.  Both the work and home settings require the leader to provide vision, protection, provisions and security.  This is exactly what a shepherd did in the day Jesus lived.  When these shepherd leadership responsibilities were not provided, the sheep became harassed, helpless and often injured or even killed.  When this protection is not present, the sheep went astray like being without a shepherd at all.  A shepherd leader always places those whom he leads ahead of himself.

The Bible is filled with shepherds and godly leadership.  Moses was shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep when God called him.  Abraham was a shepherd and so was David.  Jesus said that he was the Good Shepherd.  The shepherds in the fields were the first to be told of Jesus’ birth.  Psalm 23 is probably the most quoted Psalm of all and starts with “The Lord is my shepherd.”  With all the actual shepherd leaders and analogies in Scripture, we should learn from shepherd leadership and make certain that those whom we lead are never at risk from being like sheep without a shepherd.  A man is to not run out on his people at work or his wife and children at home.  A shepherd is what makes the difference in leading in both areas.