The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ³ You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.

⁴ The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. ⁵ So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; ⁶ they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them – Ezekiel – 34:1-6

The principles of this passage from Ezekiel 34 and John 21 are easy enough to translate to us today. The primary responsibility of a missional leader is to feed the sheep.  Sadly, the fat sheep will not allow the lean sheep to be free and grow. Prophet Ezekiel metaphorically described the improper behaviour of leaders and fat sheep congregations who prioritize their own interests or use their position for personal gain rather than serving the needs of the people they lead in obedience to God’s word. It is time to call for a renewal of ethical leadership and responsible stewardship. 

We are in an age when the missional character of the church’s ministry is being neglected, overlooked, and understated, and missiology is disappearing from the seminary curriculum. In essence, the sheep are either fed or eaten; there is no neutrality. The Gospel reading from John 21 provides a renewing reflection to recover the apostolic character of ministry in faithful obedience and discipleship. Jesus, after Peter’s three denials, asks him three times, “Do you love me?”. After Peter affirms his love, Jesus instructs him to “Feed my sheep.” Missional leaders are called to view their role as Jesus did.

In Ezekiel 34, missional leader in relation to the word picture of the shepherd enables us to see what relational skills and attitudes we will build into our leadership. Prophet Ezekiel ‘depicts God’s displeasure with the shepherds of Israel, who are described as “eating the fat of the sheep and clothing themselves with their wool, and you have not fed the flock.” In contrast, Prophet Ezekiel describes how missional leaders care for their flocks: searching out the lost sheep (vv11-16), delivering the captive sheep (v.12), gathering the dispersed sheep (v.13), feeding the hungry sheep (v. 13); rests the weary sheep (v.15); binds the hurst sheep (v.16); strengthens the weak sheep (v.16); protects the vulnerable sheep (vv.17-22); equips the needy sheep (v.23); and directs all the sheep (v.24).

When Jesus told Peter “Feed my Sheep,” he talked about discipling and growing them up. Beyond the passive picture of feeding like a baby is spoon-fed, our witness-bearing must direct people to Jesus. Leaders who eat the sheep use the truth of the Bible to prop up misleading messages; hence, our methods of bearing witness redirect the devotion that should accrue to Jesus and draw it to ourselves. We risk not feeding Christ’s sheep but feeding on them instead.’ Prophet Ezekiel said, “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, declares the Lord God, undoubtedly because my sheep have become prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:  Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hands and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them – (Ezek 34: 7-10).

It is very easy that our apparent acts of devotion can become covers for predation. Jesus warned, “Watch out for false prophets … They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” We are at a time when religious power is increasingly being creatively misused, for example, through cases of sexual abuse, embezzlements among others. Indeed, ‘for wolves in sheep’s clothing, ministry is attractive because of how easily the flock can be devoured.’ In response to the student-driven revival at Kentucky’s Asbury University in 2023, Madison Pierce reminds us about the effect and abuse of religious power. He wrote “that God would mark this outpouring with … a leadership emphasizing protective humility in relationship with power for a generation deeply hurt by the abuse of religious power.”

God’s condemnation of the shepherds for eating their sheep resonates with our sin as much more sinister today and in need of repentance. The reflection is, rather than protecting and feeding the flock from predators, are we, the shepherds, becoming the enemies of the flock, eating upon the vulnerable sheep? Are we the opposite of what ought to be?

This reflection is not complete without God’s response to the sheep who are also blameworthy. God declared that He will ‘judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats, that is, he will discern between those acting right and those not.’ God called out to ‘the rich, that is, those who are called the fat sheep, because they are sinning against the lean sheep. They were guilty of pushing aside the weak sheep, thrusting the weak with their horns, and scattering them abroad’ (Ezek 34:17-21). The institutions within the Body of Christ today remain a challenge, especially how those with power or influence of money could easily manipulate the weak for control and personal interests. God is not silent on the congregation of sheep complicit in negligence with false teachers, thereby promoting unbiblical teachings. Feed my sheep, not eat my sheep, points to the church’s image in our time with the leadership and congregation of sheep on trial before a merciful God. God is not interested in the death of a sinner, but that the sinner should come to repentance.