Proverbs 13 isn't about Jesus or His relationship to His sheep.
That being said you can read multiple passages in the NT talking about the discipline of the Lord, church discipline, and even excommunication. All of these things are the rod as applied to believers in the church. If you think God's discipline isn't extremely painful, I don't know what to tell you. I've been through it several times. I prefer being spanked by my Earthly father.
Proverbs 23 addresses Earthly discipline directly. It's very clear what it means. I don't think it means cruelty either. It isn't describing what we think of as child abuse, but it describing a method of discipline that God says fathers should use, and the effect when carried out properly in love in patience with restraint for the purpose of correction and not as a way to express anger or frustration.
13 Do not hold back discipline from the child,
Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
As someone who has raised one boy into a man, and is currently raising another, this is something that is very true. My first boy required very few spankings. Maybe a handful in his whole young life. My second is proving much more difficult. But I love them both, and I will do my best to keep them each out of Hell.
Discipline is so important, but so is love. There has to be both, and I tend to err in excess on the side of the latter.
Jesus is the True Shepherd, but in His absence on earth has He left us without a shepherd?
"15 When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.16 He saith to him again: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs. 17 He said to him the third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. He said to him: Feed my sheep." - John 21:15-17
Here Jesus makes St. Peter do penance for each of the three times he rejected Christ upon His arrest, thereby restoring him as head of His Church.
"Would the rod comfort me if I knew I was in for a beating?" - Bionic
If it meant that I could still be counted among His Flock, it would be comforting to know that I would only receive a "beating" proportional to my offense and not be cut off and cast out forever.
"47 And that servant who knew the will of his lord, and prepared not himself, and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes." - Luke 12:47-48
In Luke 12 the beatings are handed to the servants whose actions the master is displeased with, proportional to their knowledge of His rules, but ultimately they remain in the house. Only the wicked servant who committed evils against the other servants was cast out forever. How this applies to the Kingdom, I don't know for sure. Likely it does not mean Jesus is going to fashion a whip for us like He did at the temple and scourge us like He was scourged before the cross. I think it means doing penance: good works through faith in Christ with love cooperating with His unmerited grace.
"Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance" - Matthew 3:8
The Good Shepherd is one of the greatest illustrations of the loving care of our LORD. Thank you for this great summary of this Bionic! Praying through Psalm 23 slowly, meditating on concepts is one of the most powerful meditations.
For 60 years, I was a city boy. For nine years, I’ve been a rural retiree. My neighbors have small, mixed herds of sheep and goats. I just spent a half hour with ChatGTP asking questions about what I see and what sheep herding was like in the ancient Levant. The biggest difference is here, the pastor manages the dogs and the dogs manage the herd. Herding sheep on grasslands in antiquity was a very active job for the shepherd!
I love this word picture used to describe our relationship with God, and then the twist, “Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world”!
Proverbs 13 isn't about Jesus or His relationship to His sheep.
That being said you can read multiple passages in the NT talking about the discipline of the Lord, church discipline, and even excommunication. All of these things are the rod as applied to believers in the church. If you think God's discipline isn't extremely painful, I don't know what to tell you. I've been through it several times. I prefer being spanked by my Earthly father.
Proverbs 23 addresses Earthly discipline directly. It's very clear what it means. I don't think it means cruelty either. It isn't describing what we think of as child abuse, but it describing a method of discipline that God says fathers should use, and the effect when carried out properly in love in patience with restraint for the purpose of correction and not as a way to express anger or frustration.
13 Do not hold back discipline from the child,
Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
14 You shall strike him with the rod
And rescue his soul from Sheol.
Proverbs 23:14
As someone who has raised one boy into a man, and is currently raising another, this is something that is very true. My first boy required very few spankings. Maybe a handful in his whole young life. My second is proving much more difficult. But I love them both, and I will do my best to keep them each out of Hell.
Discipline is so important, but so is love. There has to be both, and I tend to err in excess on the side of the latter.
Jesus is the True Shepherd, but in His absence on earth has He left us without a shepherd?
"15 When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.16 He saith to him again: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs. 17 He said to him the third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. He said to him: Feed my sheep." - John 21:15-17
Here Jesus makes St. Peter do penance for each of the three times he rejected Christ upon His arrest, thereby restoring him as head of His Church.
"Would the rod comfort me if I knew I was in for a beating?" - Bionic
If it meant that I could still be counted among His Flock, it would be comforting to know that I would only receive a "beating" proportional to my offense and not be cut off and cast out forever.
"47 And that servant who knew the will of his lord, and prepared not himself, and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes." - Luke 12:47-48
In Luke 12 the beatings are handed to the servants whose actions the master is displeased with, proportional to their knowledge of His rules, but ultimately they remain in the house. Only the wicked servant who committed evils against the other servants was cast out forever. How this applies to the Kingdom, I don't know for sure. Likely it does not mean Jesus is going to fashion a whip for us like He did at the temple and scourge us like He was scourged before the cross. I think it means doing penance: good works through faith in Christ with love cooperating with His unmerited grace.
"Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance" - Matthew 3:8
The Good Shepherd is one of the greatest illustrations of the loving care of our LORD. Thank you for this great summary of this Bionic! Praying through Psalm 23 slowly, meditating on concepts is one of the most powerful meditations.
For 60 years, I was a city boy. For nine years, I’ve been a rural retiree. My neighbors have small, mixed herds of sheep and goats. I just spent a half hour with ChatGTP asking questions about what I see and what sheep herding was like in the ancient Levant. The biggest difference is here, the pastor manages the dogs and the dogs manage the herd. Herding sheep on grasslands in antiquity was a very active job for the shepherd!
I love this word picture used to describe our relationship with God, and then the twist, “Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world”!