Engage in the Pastoral Work with the Shepherd-Prince

ARE you sharing in the joys and blessings that come from engaging in the pastoral work with the Shepherd-Prince? Do you ask, “Who is the Shepherd-Prince, what is this pastoral work, and how may I engage in it?”a

The Shepherd-Prince is none other than the Right Shepherd, Christ Jesus. (Ezek. 34:24; John 10:11, NW) The pastoral work that he is directing at the present time is the gathering of men of good will into one family, with justice and equality enjoyed by all and love binding the members indivisibly together, and with the hope of everlasting life in God’s new world.

This gathering activity is very fittingly described as a pastoral work, for human creatures are, oh so much, like sheep. Like sheep they have been fleeced, oppressed, mistreated and butchered by their religious, political and commercial rulers and leaders; like sheep they are prone to follow leaders, and like sheep mankind have gone astray. None is more concerned about these sheep than is Jehovah God, the Great Shepherd, and that is why he has purposed to bring his sheep together, as well as to feed, shelter and heal them.—Ps. 44:22; Isa. 53:6; Ps. 23:1; Ezek. 34:11-16.

The Shepherd-Prince Christ Jesus demonstrated his great love for the sheep by giving his life for them. While he began the work of gathering his spiritual sheep at the time of his first presence, his greatest activity along this line has been particularly since his second presence, which began in 1914, and after the “cloudy and dark day” of persecution of his sheep during World War I. These spiritual sheep of the “little flock,” having now been gathered, join in the work with their Shepherd-Prince in gathering the “other sheep.” (Luke 12:32; John 10:16) Particularly since 1931, when these “other sheep” were identified as those sighing and crying for the abominations done in the land, have these been gathered, and even more so since 1935, when they were identified as the “great crowd” of praisers of John’s vision.—Ezek. 9:1-6; Rev. 7:9, 10, NW.

To expedite this pastoral work the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead was established in 1943 for the training of Christian ministers for missionary work in foreign lands, and since that school was opened Christian ministers engaging in this pastoral work have increased more than threefold, so that today more than a half million of these are active in 143 different lands and isles of the sea.

While not all Christians who have been gathered to the Shepherd-Prince can devote all their time as missionaries to this pastoral work, all of us can buy out the opportune time right in our own communities, looking for the sheep by going from house to house with the Kingdom message and by offering Bible literature to passersby on street corners. And then, when having found those that appear to be sheep, willing to learn from the Shepherd-Prince, we can follow through with the pastoral work of feeding them with the spiritual food provided by Jehovah God, namely, the information regarding God’s purposes as revealed in his Word, the Bible.

Because of his great love for these sheep, Jehovah God has made provision for gathering them now and eventually giving them everlasting life in his new world. Christ Jesus loves the sheep; that is why he died for them and is now directing the gathering work. If we love Jehovah God, Christ Jesus and these sheep, we shall now engage in the pastoral work with the Shepherd-Prince and realize the joys and blessings coming from such work.

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