Day 466: Leading and following – 1 Peter 5 vs 1 – 6

1-3 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them - not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over  those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd  appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

5-6 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:1-6 New International Version

In every sphere of life there will always be those who are able to teach and help others, and those who need teaching and help along the way. We see this in a home where wise parents lovingly guide their children well as they grow. But it's just as important for the Church. Peter uses the word 'elders' for those who were called to be shepherds of God's ‘flock’ - i.e. those who had come to faith in Jesus Christ. While that word was used for people who were of older years, the New Testament didn’t set a specified age. What does Peter say about how these elders were to go about looking after younger believers? (vs 1-3)

They were to show the same diligence that one would see in a good shepherd who looks after the welfare of his sheep, leading them to pastures for food and protecting them from wolves and other predators. They were to do this with a willing spirit, not as if it was an unwelcome chore. They were certainly not to do it to enrich themselves or so that they could boss others! They needed to remember that it is God's flock, not theirs. Personally, when I look at Church history I find it very sad to see how some sections of the Church developed a culture where the shepherds took fancy titles and wore special robes, and the Church gathered much wealth for elaborate cathedrals. Notice how Peter, even though he'd been one of Jesus' closest disciples and was an apostle, refers to himself as 'a fellow elder'. He didn't lord it over the others.

What about the younger men and women in the congregation, especially those who were newer to the faith, how were they to respond to the elders who were looking after them? (vs 5-6)

Peter urged them to willingly submit themselves to the leadership of the elders and to follow the example the leaders set in serving the Lord. It's easy when we are young to think we know better than those who are older than us. It takes humility to recognize that their years of experience often gives them a better view of things. People who are further up the mountain can tell those still on the way about the difficult bits they had to navigate. Humility is the key to a healthy Church, in the leaders as well as those being led.

Do you see a word Peter uses in vs 1 -4 (and an expectation) that would help both leaders and followers to behave in the way he was calling them to behave towards one another?

It's that word glory. He used it a few verses earlier with reference to sufferings Christians may experience in following Christ. He'd said “rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.” Now he applies it to leaders and says that their faithful labours will be rewarded with 'a crown of glory'. That's a picture for when Christ will say to them 'well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord'.  (Matthew 25:21) But he also reminds followers that if they humble themselves “God will lift you up in due time.”

Last, but not least, who is the chief leader of the Church? The Archbishop of Canterbury? The Pope? Who does vs 4 say is the one we need to follow and obey most of all? Let’s make that our goal.