Our Good Shepherd

Apocalyptic battle will be over the status of Jerusalem

In the wake of the worldwide denunciation of President Trump’s earth-shaking decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, nations are now queueing up to follow his lead.

And yet even while archaeological finds further confirm Jewish connection to the City over thousands of years, the UK and other major European powers stubbornly refuse to face reality.

In joining the predictable chorus of disapproval at the UN, the British people are in ever-increasing danger of being numbered among the goats of Judgment Day referred to by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (25:31-46).

This passage is widely interpreted to relate to how the peoples of the world have treated God’s chosen race – the “brothers and sisters” (in the flesh) of our Saviour, who was born the King of Israel (Matt 2:2) and is coming back as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5).

Isaiah writes: “For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined” (60:12; see also Mic 5:15).

Sheep and Goats

On my latest tour of Israel, I learnt a fascinating lesson that I believe relates to this important passage (Matt 25) – that sheep keep the grass neatly cut with their grazing while goats pull it out by the roots.

In the same way, true disciples of Jesus, the Great Shepherd, should follow him closely and feed on the rich pasture he has provided, that is nourished by the Law of Moses along with the patriarchs and prophets of Judaism. The goats, on the other hand, cut themselves off from the roots of their faith, as a result of which their pasture withers and dies (see Rom 11:17f).

Goats cut themselves off from the roots of their faith, as a result of which their pasture withers and dies.

Actually, the US Congress voted to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital 22 years ago, but successive Presidents have simply put off implementing the decision until now. And Czech President Milos Zeman has accused EU states opposing this stance as “cowards”.¹

Arab Realism

Even Arab commentators are encouraging their people to accept reality. A Saudi academic, for example, has called on Arabs to recognise Jerusalem’s sanctity to Jews. Abdulhameed Hakeem, head of the Middle East Centre for Strategic and Legal Studies in Jedda, told US-based Alhurra Television that Trump’s move constitutes a “positive shock” to the peace process, adding: “We must recognise and realise that Jerusalem is a religious symbol to Jews and sacred to them, as Mecca and Medina is to Muslims.”²

And in an article last year, he stressed that Israel and Saudi Arabia faced a common Nazi-like threat in Iran,³ which has reportedly pledged every assistance to terror group Hamas in “the battle for the defence of Jerusalem”.⁴

With its efforts to make good on a long-promised boast to wipe Israel off the map, Iran continues to be a serious threat (despite encouraging protests from within the rogue regime), establishing a military base in Syria while at the same time supplying terror group Hezbollah with a huge stash of weapons on Israel’s northern border.

Choose Whom You Will Serve

So, with the nations as a whole setting their face against Israel, and denying their right both to the Land and their capital, the stage is being set for the battle of the ages. According to the Bible, it will take place at Armageddon (or the plain of Jezreel) in northern Israel (Rev 16:16), but the trigger will be Jerusalem.

Although physical in nature, it will in reality be more of a spiritual conflict determining who is ultimately in charge of the ways of men and the world.

The stage is being set for the battle of the ages, which will determine who is in charge of the ways of men and the world.

Elijah of old was engaged in a great battle with 400 false prophets in this same region, and he won hands down with only God on his side – which is all he needed, of course (see 1 Kings 18). Frustrated at the idolatry of his people, the Prophet famously laid down the rules for the contest: The God who answered by fire would be the victor. And sure enough, the fire of the Lord burnt up the sacrifice and the people changed their mind about their allegiance.

BATTLEFIELD VIEW: A stunning scene of the plain of Jezreel, otherwise known as Armageddon, from the traditional site of Elijah’s battle with the false prophets on Mt Carmel. Picture: Linda GardnerThat bloody contest – all the false prophets were subsequently slaughtered – took place on Mt Carmel which, as it happens, overlooks Armageddon where the final great battle will be enacted, quite possibly in the very near future especially since, as the prophets have foretold, it will be over the status of Jerusalem (see Zech 12:2f).

It may come as a surprise to some that Jerusalem is God’s very own City – he effectively owns it; it bears his name (see Dan 9:18f; Neh 1:9). But false deities, with the connivance of numerous world powers, refuse to acknowledge this. They are setting a trap into which they will fall!

Jesus lamented over Jerusalem because of their rejection of him, but at the same time prophesied their ultimate acceptance of his rule (Matt 23:39). He has not finished with Jerusalem; he will come back just as he left (Acts 1:11).

Confirmation Upon Confirmation

Further confirmation of Israel’s claim to the Land has come from recent archaeological finds.

A replica of a first-century coin, dated 67 AD and containing the inscription ‘Jerusalem the Holy’, was held up at a session of the United Nations Security Council by Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon.⁵ And a seal owned by Jerusalem’s governor some 2,700 years ago has been unearthed near the Western Wall. It contains an inscription in ancient Hebrew and supports the biblical rendering of the existence of a governor in the City at the time.⁶

Speaking of the find, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said: “Jerusalem is one of the most ancient capitals in the world, continually populated by the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years.”⁷ Another recent find – 1,300-year-old coins from the Islamic Umayyad Dynasty imprinted with an image of the menorah from the Jewish Temple – shows that early Muslims acknowledged the City’s Jewish identity. According to Assaf Avraham of Bar-Ilan University, they adopted the Jewish narrative and symbols for their own.⁸

Jesus has not finished with Jerusalem, which will ultimately accept his rule.

History Already Made

At the end of the day, Jews from all over the world are returning to their roots in fulfilment of many ancient Scriptures. The much-acclaimed film Lion tells the moving story of a five-year-old Indian boy, Saroo (‘Lion’), who got lost after becoming separated from his older brother, and was eventually adopted and brought up by loving ‘parents’ in Australia. But it didn’t stop the grown-up Saroo going to extraordinary lengths to trace his roots and find his beloved mother.

Yet, despite all the evidence supporting Israel’s claim, Palestinian leaders simply refuse to accept the truth. In the year 2000, Yasser Arafat turned down the chance of a comprehensive peace deal because he refused to recognise Jewish historical ties to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. “The Jews never had a Temple at the site,” he said at the time.⁹ The entire Palestinian narrative is based on a lie that would be recognised by children at kindergarten. And yet world leaders don’t get it!

But they must get used to the idea. The God of Israel is the history-maker and has chosen the Jews to inherit the Land he has promised them. That there would be an almighty battle over the territory was always part of the script. The prophets warned that this would happen, but that Elohim (God) would be the ultimate victor, “watching over his word to perform it” (Jer 1:12).

The Messiah is waiting for that day – and I pray it will come soon – when his ancient people greet him once more with gladness, saying: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matt 23:39; Ps 118:26).

Notes

1 Czech leader slams EU ‘cowards’ on Jerusalem stance. Times of Israel, 10 December 2017.

2 Lynfield, B. Saudi academic calls on Arabs to recognize Jewish connection to Jerusalem. Jerusalem Post, 18 December 2017.

3 Ibid.

4 Lieber, D. Iran pledging all its might to Hamas for Jerusalem battle, terror group says. Times of Israel, 25 December 2017.

5 JNN, 11 December 2017, quoting Arutz-7.

6 Rare First Temple-Era Hebrew seal found at Western Wall. World Israel News, 1 January 2018.

7 Ibid.

8 Berkowitz, AE. Archaeologists Discover Muslim Artifacts Proving Jerusalem’s Jewish Identity. Breakingisraelnews, 8 December 2017.

9 Christian Friends of Israel’s Watching Over Zion newsletter, 30 November 2017.

John Job continues our series on the message and ministry of the non-writing prophets.

Shakespeare has introduced us to the king's jester. His function was much more than making jokes. He played the same sort of role as the press today in holding authority in check. In Old Testament times, the one who was supposed to do this was the court prophet.

Sadly, the record of such men was abysmal. Jeremiah summed up the problem with his unforgettable comment that they spoke “peace when there was no peace”, that is, they went along with policies which should have been resisted. They approved of proposals which meant marching into the jaws of catastrophe. But, there were exceptions. One was Nathan.

Nathan's Mission

Early in his reign, King David went off the rails with a series of disastrous errors. It began with indolence. It was the time of year when kings usually went out to war. The army went, but David stayed at home. This was the root of the problem, for David looking on from the vantage point of his palace spied (lower down the hill) a woman bathing.

Soon it was a case of adultery and, to crown it all, Bathsheba (as she was called) became pregnant. On hearing this news, David attempted a cover-up. He summoned her husband, Uriah, home from the fighting, and encouraged him to go home to his wife. When he demurred, the king ruthlessly engineered his death: he ordered that Uriah be stationed at the most dangerous point in the battle line.

This was when Nathan was sent to rebuke David - a high-risk venture! It could easily have seen him summarily executed. Any realisation that we have broken the law requires action to make amends, and what is less obvious but equally true is that we are called to react when somebody else is flagrantly at fault, not least when it is a matter of hurt or broken relationships.

Early in his reign, King David made a series of disastrous errors which began with indolence.

My father went out of the back door one night in 1938, and saw the next-door neighbour about to drop his wife from an upstairs window. “Stop!” he shouted. It takes courage to interfere with one's next-door neighbour, but next morning the man came round and thanked him.

Nathan's problem called for a different approach. We do not know how his message from God came to him, but he hardly received a divine fax to relay to the king. Simple awareness of David’s wrongdoing created a responsibility to say something about it. In such circumstances, we are challenged to translate God's message into terms with maximum impact on the person concerned, and yet present it in the most gracious way possible.

Nathan’s Tactics

At this point, Nathan has a good deal to teach us. He did not attempt his mission like a bull at a gate. Instead, he gradually came round to the issue that he wanted to raise; as did Jesus when he wanted to confront the woman at Sychar with the sinful promiscuity which had led her to be living with her sixth partner. In the end, his message came out with crystal clarity, but he led up to it with a friendly and tactful conversation.

He was not like an Antiguan girl I once partnered with in house-to-house visiting on a student mission. To women who answered the door that Friday afternoon, expecting to pay their milk bill, her approach shot would be, “What do you think of Jesus?” It was one of the most effective conversation stoppers l have ever heard!

Nathan did not make this kind of mistake. He began by telling David a story. Significantly, it was about a shepherd. Again, there is a striking resemblance to Jesus' technique with the Samaritan woman. In her case, water was what dominated her life. Because she was an outcast she was obliged to fetch it in the heat of the day and could not do it at the usual time of morning or evening. Jesus used the notion of thirst to bring home to her the spiritual need behind her depressed search for acceptance, security and love which had led her from one man to another.

Awareness of David’s wrongdoing created a responsibility for Nathan to say something about it.

Similarly, shepherd language was mother's milk for David. From his earliest youth he had minded sheep and there is evidence that he did it in an exemplary way. It was nothing for him, he told Saul when volunteering his services to fight Goliath, to engage in single combat with lions and bears if they attacked his flock. The enemy champion would be just one more victim for his presumption in challenging the flock of God.

Nathan's Parable

The story that Nathan recounted was of a wealthy sheep-farmer who had limitless flocks, while his neighbour possessed one pet ewe-lamb. The ’fat cat’ had a visitor one day whose arrival called for a meat meal — something of a rarity in the Israel of those days. But, instead of killing one of his own sheep, he took the lone lamb from next-door and served that up.

Only a story, but David became so involved and angry that he spoke as though the guilty farmer could be spirited from Nathan's parable and made to pay four times over for the lamb he had taken. “You are the man”, said Nathan, and with devastating directness he spelt out first the privilege God had conferred upon David by making him king; then the love he had shown by protecting him from a chapter of murderous attempts on his life by Saul; then the generosity he had shown him, such that he had only to ask for as much again as he already possessed and his prayer would have been granted. How had all this been repaid? By laziness, adultery, deceit and murder.

Nathan went on to warn David of the results of his action. Bitter experience years later when Absalom usurped the royal harem on the roof of the palace for all to see must have reminded him of what the prophet had said to him. Painful, painful words, no doubt. But, they were tempered by what was to come. For when David admitted “l have sinned against the Lord”, Nathan was able to reassure him: “The Lord has laid upon another the consequences of your sin.”

In learning how to deliver God's message with grace and yet maximum impact, Nathan has a good deal to teach us.

He was referring to the fact that Bathsheba's son was going to die and, when this happened, David was to see it as the punishment that he himself deserved. No Christian can read this, without seeing reflected what we ourselves owe to Jesus, whose death on the Cross is not only a rebuke to sin, but the assurance of God's forgiveness for sins however grave.

The Message for Today

We can learn first of the need to speak to those for whom we are charged with God's message in language which they can understand. It is no good simply firing at them texts torn from the Bible. What they need to grasp is embodied in Scripture, certainly; but it needs to be presented with the same imaginative insight that Nathan used to get across what God had to say to David.

Biblical teaching is embedded in a culture alien to ours and far removed in history. A bridge has to be built between this and the mental furniture of those with whom we want to communicate. If you are talking to 10-year-olds about the danger of idolising possessions, it is no good talking to them about land or houses; it has to be video games or mountain bikes.

For the average Near Easterner, originally addressed by the Ten Commandments, a donkey was a prized possession and figures in the injunction against covetousness. No doubt you could find somebody today who might covet a donkey but, in the garden of the standard suburban semi, it can only be a liability. So the biblical language needs translation: the donkey of the Near Fast becomes a Jaguar car for 20^th Century man.

The second thing to notice is that for Nathan's bow there were two arrows. The first was the arrow of rebuke: it needed to wound because David was unaware of the heinousness of what he had done. It was an arrow which had to be fired with subtlety. If the shot had been too obvious, David might have seen it coming and shielded himself. But there was also the arrow of healing in the prophet's quiver. Once the king could acknowledge that he had grievously sinned, the way was open to declare that God would forgive him.

In Nathan’s bow were two arrows – the arrow of rebuke and the arrow of healing.

Forgiveness

So it should be whenever correction is the order of the day. Not only does it need to command a hearing, but it needs the back-up of restoration. Sometimes in the face of exposure, a person's life will fall about him like a house of cards, but the Christian never goes into such a situation without offer of a remedy.

Even David: adulterer, murderer, dissembler though he had been, was a candidate for pardon. He is there to convince the most abject offenders that no net is beyond God's power to unravel its meshes and release them, no deed so damning as to prevent his raising up the head that hangs in shame.

Here then is a good test of our motivation. Any Pharisee can put others down. The fuel for self-righteousness comes from finding fault with somebody else. But it is no part of the Pharisee's stock-in-trade to offer forgiveness or restoration to the victims of his criticism. He depends on keeping his victims in the condemned cell to convince himself of his own adequacy. Certainly, there are times when a Christian has to take the lid off wrong-doing. but not without offering the recipe for God's pardon.

Do we desire to make that offer? That is the acid test of whether our attitude is truly Christian. If it is a spirit evident in Nathan. we ought to be able to harbour it much more. For we have heard the risen Christ speak his word of peace to disciples who knew that they were implicated in nothing less than his death upon that appalling Cross.

Monica Hill continues her study on the Ministry Gifts of Ephesians 4.

This article is part of a series. Click here to read other instalments.

“It was Christ who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13, emphasis added)

The gift of ‘pastoring’ is one with which we are all familiar – it is the backbone of the Church in this country and has been for many centuries. In many ways, it is often the only role recognised as carrying any form of leadership responsibility.

Even though the wording of Ephesians 4 seems to link it with ‘teaching’, the two roles are quite different - as we will see over the next two weeks. They can often be combined – for instance, the pastor often also carries the role of teacher – but this is not always the case. Therefore, we will look at them separately.

A common definition of a pastor is “one who is usually an ordained leader of a Christian congregation…A pastor also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation.”¹ The ministry gift of pastoring was given to ensure that named individuals took long-term responsibility for the spiritual well-being of the group of believers in their care.

But Ephesians 4 is the only mention of the role of ‘pastor’ in the Bible - the word more often used is ‘shepherd’. In fact, the Greek noun used for ‘pastor’ in Ephesians 4 is poimēn (‘shepherd’), linked to the verb poimaino (‘to shepherd’) and the Latin word pascere meaning ‘fed or grazed’. The links with feeding sheep are plain to see. This is carried through visually in Western Christianity in the formal crosiers often carried by bishops, shaped as stylised shepherd’s crooks, symbolising their pastoral/shepherding functions.

The Good Shepherd

The Old Testament’s teaching on pastoring is summed up in the well-loved Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’. This is followed by Jesus and his teaching in John 10 that he is the Good Shepherd, which gives us a great model of the kind of pastoring that we need to seek and practise.

Ephesians 4 is the only mention of the role of ‘pastor’ in the Bible - the word more often used is ‘shepherd’.

It was in one of Jesus’s appearances on the seashore to his disciples after his resurrection that Jesus asked Peter “Do you really love me?” three times, which in effect brought about his full forgiveness and restitution following his three denials just before the crucifixion. Each time Peter was commissioned to “Feed my sheep” or “Feed my lambs” (John 3:17); Jesus indicated that the way for Peter to love his Lord was to shepherd his sheep.

The Call to be a Shepherd

Shepherding is more than just caring for the spiritual needs of those given into your care (the responsibility of agricultural shepherds is to care for many different aspects of their flock) – it should also mean building people up so that they mature and reach their full potential.

This is the end goal towards which those who are called to pastor (or shepherd) others today should be aiming. They not only need to be able to feed and care for the flock in their charge, they also need to have the gift of being able to draw out all the gifts in others, so that the Body of Christ grows up, and the flock are fully equipped and supported to be on the front line.²

Paul was much more an evangelist than a pastor, but he saw the need for continuing care when he moved on – not only in teaching but in broader support of the newly formed group or congregation. He reminded the Ephesians to care for the flock in the brief meeting he had with the elders on his way to Jerusalem (Acts 20:28-29).

Shepherding – Biblical vs Western

The picture given of shepherding in biblical times, which Jesus often used as an example, is very different from the ways in which we farm and care for sheep today in the West – both physically and spiritually. We must be careful to compare the two, so we can be clear on what the Lord is recommending! Read John 10 and make your own comparisons to add to those below.

• The biblical shepherd goes ahead of the sheep, leading by example; Western shepherds drive from the back and follow behind the sheep – and often use a dog to help keep control.
  
• The biblical shepherd watches over his sheep at all times; the Western shepherd takes them to a field and leaves them there.
  
• The biblical shepherd is always seeking new pastures to provide good food for his sheep; Western shepherds use planned fields with boundaries.
  
• In biblical times many of the flocks were kept safely together with others at night; in Western nations we have isolated ourselves away from each other, with pastors only called upon when needed.
  
• The biblical shepherd shares the night-time watch with others; the Western shepherd can be very parochial and denominational.
  
• The biblical shepherd knows his sheep by name and goes searching for the one who has strayed away; the Western shepherd has a long list of email addresses but may not enjoy close relationship with the flock.
  
• The biblical shepherd teaches the sheep to discern the good shepherd from the bad – to know the voice of the Good Shepherd, so they are not deceived by other voices calling them away; the Western shepherd often does the discernment for the flock – or not at all.
  

In the closing exhortations in the letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is recognised as “that great Shepherd of the Sheep” (Heb 13:20). Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) who will go to any lengths to save one lost lamb – even being willing to give his life.

Shepherding is more than just caring for the spiritual needs of those given into your care – it should also mean building people up so that they mature and reach their full potential.

Giving further instructions in his model in John 10, Jesus says:

• “I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them” (vv7-8). We are not to follow or listen to those who have the wrong motive.
  
• “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved…I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full” (vv9-10). Through Jesus the sheep will find all they need - including eternal life.
  
• “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand…abandons the sheep and runs away…[he] cares nothing for the sheep” (vv11-13). We are to avoid those do not care enough. Under-shepherds should have the same kind of commitment as Jesus – they should not act like hired hands.
  
• “I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (vv14-15).
  
• “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also” (v16). Jesus is the shepherd for others who have no shepherd and is concerned to bring them into the fold too.
  

Continuing Care

Peter urges his fellow elders in 1 Peter 5:1-4: “to 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. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away”.

References

1 Wikipedia, Pastor.

2 Heavy shepherding was a feature in the early days of the charismatic movement in the 1980s and is still followed by some today. It can be counter-productive as it does not lead to building up the body to maturity but rather to increased dependence on humans rather than the Lord.

'The Good Shepherd: A Thousand Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament', by Kenneth E Bailey (SPCK, 2015, 288 pages, £12.99, also available from Eden for £12.50).

Anyone familiar with Kenneth Bailey's previous books will welcome this latest example of his expert analysis of Biblical texts within their Middle Eastern context.

Where this book differs is that here he takes a single theme, that of the Good Shepherd, and traces it throughout Scripture, taking us (as the subtitle states) on a thousand-year journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament.

The Figure of the Shepherd

Bailey asserts that the image of the Good Shepherd was a key figure in early Christianity and one we need to recover in all its fullness. His intention is not to provide a full commentary on each passage but to focus on "the unfolding of the extraordinary story that is created in Psalm 23 and repeated (with changes) across a thousand years down to the penning of 1 Peter" (p27).

As we have come to expect from Bailey, he offers plenty of textual details and technical analysis, possibly challenging to some readers - but ideas are clearly presented and easy to follow.

Complementing his in-depth Biblical knowledge is his experience gained from decades of living in the Middle East surrounded by shepherds. The cultural background gleaned from conversations with them is very helpful, especially for those for whom shepherding is a distant matter.

Bailey helpfully complements his in-depth Biblical knowledge with his experience of living in the Middle East.

Nine Shepherd Passages

Bailey has selected nine passages, four in the Old Testament, five in the New, treating them like episodes in a single film and studying each in the light of the previous ones. Clearly Psalm 23 is foundational, providing the first account of the person of the Good Shepherd. Thus begins a long tradition, taken up and expanded in Jeremiah 23, Ezekiel 34 and Zechariah 10 where the concept of the straying sheep is developed and the contrasting theme of bad shepherds is introduced.

From the start Bailey sets out ten common ideas which he looks for in each passage, noting if they appear or not. At regular stages in the book he provides side-by-side comparisons of the texts and theological summaries, which are very helpful in keeping us on track.

Bailey studies and compares nine passages of Scripture, each of which opens up the concept of the Good Shepherd.

The New Testament passages include the obvious Luke 15 and John 10 and, perhaps more surprisingly, Matthew 18, Mark 6 and 1 Peter 5. But it is in these less expected passages (Mark 6 in particular) that some of the more fascinating links with Psalm 23 emerge. But even the more familiar passages, including Psalm 23 itself, are brilliantly explained and contain many new insights. In Luke 15, for example, we can now see how a classical story re-emerges in the life of Jesus as the parable of the lost sheep becomes that of the Good Shepherd. Also illuminating is how Jesus chose a vital moment and context to re-invent this story for a new audience, with himself in the key role.

Connecting up Scripture

Bailey has written extensively on Luke 15 before (see list below) and there may be some overlap - but he claims some revision of ideas also. Indeed, there may be many books on each of these passages but none unites and unifies them in this way showing the connectedness of Scripture and how an idea builds over time within God's story. Above all, it places Jesus in a larger context in which he is the culmination of God's plan. This is one of the strengths of the book.

It is a considerable challenge to write on Scripture in this way but Bailey has succeeded in a most satisfying way. Once again he combines his rich personal experience of life in the Middle East with a penetrating theological approach. His lucid style and attention to subtle details make this book an informative and stimulating source for teachers, preachers and scholars. Another triumph!

Informative and stimulating, with a lucid style and attention to subtle detail - other triumph.

Related Resources

Other books by Bailey available from SPCK: Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes. Also from Bailey on the Good Shepherd theme (and parables in Luke): Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes (Eerdmans), and Jacob and the Prodigal (The Bible Reading Fellowship).

The Synod of the Trinity Youtube channel contains several free video studies by Kenneth Bailey on the theme of the Good Shepherd, the first of which can be found here.