This perfect aspect is a shepherd. Joseph, like Abel, was a shepherd (37:2). This typifies the aspect of the constitution of Christ in the mature life that is the shepherding life to take care of others. In chapter thirty-seven Joseph not only fed and shepherded the flock; although he was the second youngest brother, he was sent by his father to shepherd his brothers. Thus, Joseph shepherded not only his father's flock, but also his father's sons. The Lord Jesus also came as a shepherd (John 10:11).
Although you may be new in the church life, you nevertheless have the constitution of Christ within you. Christ has been constituted into you, and this becomes the constitution of Christ in your spiritual life. This is what gives you the burden to take care of others. This is shepherding. The constitution of Christ in our spiritual life has a shepherding aspect. It is vain to encourage people to shepherd others. The more I charge you to shepherd others, the less you will shepherd them. Shepherding is not a matter of our instigating others to do something, but of Christ's constitution within them. The part of our being that has been constituted of Christ is the part that shepherds others. I have full confidence in that part of you. We cannot shepherd anyone, but Christ constituted into us is the Shepherd.
The reigning aspect is firstly the shepherding aspect. If you do not have the burden to shepherd others and to feed them, you will never be able to reign. Reigning authority comes from the shepherding life. Eventually, Joseph reigned over his brothers. But he did not reign over them until he had already shepherded them. He was sent by his father to shepherd his brothers and to feed them. In like manner, Jesus came not as a King to rule others; He came as a Shepherd.
As the Shepherd, Christ was killed by His own people. This is revealed in John 10, where we are told that the good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. Jesus came as the Shepherd and was killed, giving His life for His flock. In principle, the same thing happened to Joseph in chapter thirty-seven. Although he was sent to shepherd his brothers, they nearly killed him. Joseph gave his life in order to carry out this kind of shepherding. It is good that we have a shepherding life within. But if you are to shepherd others, you must be ready to be killed by those you are caring for. The very ones you desire to shepherd will not appreciate your shepherding. Instead, they will kill you. They may think of you as a strange, peculiar person, and they may call you a "holy" brother. Many have said to me, "Brother Lee, if I stay by myself and do not love the church and care for the saints, I have no problems. But when I begin to love the church and take care of the saints, the saints kill me." They kill you because you shepherd them.