"Consider the speaker, the giver. Who is this shepherd? It is the Lord of Glory. All things were made not only by him, but for him. It is for all to yield the tribute of all they possess to him, and ever to ascribe unto him all glory and honor and wisdom and power.
But lo! this Lord of all quits his throne, takes a shepherd's crook, and comes forth with a gift."
— George Bowen (1816–1888) · The White Sadhu of Bombay✦ The Lord of All Quits His Throne
Bowen begins with a question: who is this shepherd? We hear "shepherd" and think gentle, pastoral, comforting. But before He is the shepherd, He is the Lord of Glory. All things made by Him and for Him. The One to whom every created thing owes everything.
And then He quits His throne. Bowen chooses the word deliberately. Not leaves temporarily. Not steps away. Quits — renounces, abandons, walks away from the seat of all authority. Philippians 2:6–7: He who was in the form of God did not consider equality with God something to cling to, but emptied Himself. And what does He take up? Not a sword. Not a scepter. A shepherd's crook. The instrument of the one who walks with the sheep, goes ahead of them, lies down across the gate at night.
"I remember when I was born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. He did empty Himself. He lowered Himself to save me."
"Consider then on whom the gift is bestowed! As you ascended high to learn the dignity of the giver, so must you descend beyond expression deep to know the unworthiness of the beneficiaries.
They are distinguished in creation by this mark, that they resolved, whatever angels in heaven or saints on earth might do, they would yield no tribute to the Lord of Hosts, no, not so much as a shoe latchet, and would arrogate to themselves glory, honor, wisdom and power.
Hell yawned for them, exulting.
But the injured Prince came nigh to them, veiling his glory that he might not irritate, donning the habiliments of a humble and a friendly shepherd."
— George Bowen (1816–1888)✦ Beyond Expression Deep
Bowen takes us from the highest height to the lowest depth. The dignity of the Giver was high enough. But the unworthiness of the receivers goes deeper than language can reach. And how does he describe them? Not weak. Not lost. Not confused. Something far worse: they resolved to yield nothing to God. Not even a shoe latchet. And they claimed for themselves the very glory, honor, wisdom and power that belonged to Him.
This is not a portrait of people who accidentally wandered off the path. It is a portrait of people who chose to steal from God and crown themselves. And hell opened its mouth to receive them, exulting.
"But the injured Prince came nigh to them, veiling his glory that he might not irritate, donning the habiliments of a humble and a friendly shepherd."
— George Bowen · The concealment was mercy. The shepherd's clothes were love.Injured — not angry. Not vengeful. Not coming to collect what was stolen. Injured. The Prince who was robbed of His tribute came near — and veiled His glory. Not because He was ashamed of it, but because the full display would have driven them further away. The concealment was mercy. And the shepherd's clothes — humble, friendly, approachable — were chosen so that the very people who stole His glory would not be afraid to come near.
"Consider the gift — eternal life. Not common life. Even common life is better than all material things. But a celestial life. Nay, a divine life. His own life.
He breathed into them his own infinite spirit, and immediately they began to walk heavenward, in faith, love, joy, humility, peace, hope, dignity, and unspeakable blessedness. This life permeated all their being, reached their eyes, their lips, their hands, their feet, and made them what the seraphim in heaven are, servants of the most high God.
Eternal life! Mighty mountains shall crumble beneath their feet — they will ascend to higher; earth shall dissolve beneath them — they will step into the heavens; the heavens shall pass away with a great noise — they will mount up to the heaven of heavens; the stupendous cycles of the universe will revolve — they will live on, crowned with garlands of never-fading youth, purity, wisdom, and delight."
— George Bowen (1816–1888)✦ Not Common Life — His Own Life
Bowen makes us stop and consider what was given. Three steps upward in a single breath: celestial — belonging to heaven. Divine — belonging to God. His own life — not a copy, not a portion measured out, but the Shepherd's own life placed in the hands of the ones who stole His glory. The gift and the Giver are the same.
Common Life
Even this is better than all material things. The simple beating of the heart, the breath that comes without asking. More to be desired than gold. But this is not the gift.
Celestial Life
Belonging to heaven. Higher than earth, higher than the material, reaching toward the eternal. But Bowen says — nay. Even this is not the gift.
Divine Life — His Own
The Shepherd's own life breathed into finite clay. Not a gift brought from somewhere else. Himself. Genesis 2:7 echoed in the new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17. The infinite spirit in a human soul.
✦ Permeating All Their Being
The divine life does not remain in one corner of the soul. It permeates — reaching the eyes, the lips, the hands, the feet. Every part of the body touched. The eyes — the moral vision couched and restored (Luke 17:5). The lips — the fonte of Proverbs 10:11, a fountain of life. The hands — the Potter's work completed (Isaiah 64:8). The feet — guided in all their ways (Proverbs 3:6). And the result: servants of the most high God — the same title and vocation the seraphim hold in heaven.
The Throne Quit
The Lord of Glory walks away from the seat of all authority. Takes a shepherd's crook. Comes forth not to collect tribute but to give. Philippians 2:6–7 in a single image.
The Injured Prince
Robbed of His tribute by the very ones He made. Hell exulting. And He came near — not in anger but veiled in mercy, dressed as a shepherd, so the thieves would not be afraid to receive the gift.
Eternal Life
Mountains crumble, earth dissolves, heavens pass away. They will live on — crowned with garlands of never-fading youth, purity, wisdom, and delight. Because what was given was not common life. It was His own.
"Consider the gift of eternal life. Not common life. His own life."