Feeding Hungry Sheep

When John Milton wrote the line, “The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed,” he was not speaking about literal sheep, but about people. He was thinking about people who come to church but are starving because those who are supposed to feed them fail to do so. 

When Milton wrote that in 1638, it was common for a pulpit to be set high above the congregation, so when people came to hear a sermon, they would literally “look up.” Seeing them do that reminded him of sheep looking up to their shepherd expecting to be fed. He expressed a sobering truth: spiritual hunger is real, and it is the responsibility of those who preach and teach God’s Word to address that need.

Milton’s quote has stuck with me since I first heard it at seminary many years ago. The tragedy of the statement is not that the sheep are hungry, that’s natural and expected. The tragedy is that they are not fed. That happens when preaching turns into pretty talk instead of truth, speeches instead of Scripture, or opinions instead of God’s Word. Sadly, it is possible for people to sit through an entire worship service and still leave starving.

Effective, biblical preaching matters. People are depending on it, hungry for it. As a pastor, I am not called to impress anyone or entertain the room. Preaching is not performance, personality, or opinion. It is not just a perfunctory religious activity. It is the steady, nourishing work of opening the Scriptures and offering God’s truth to people who need to be fed. When preaching is shallow, unprepared, or self-focused, the flock may still gather, but they leave hungry. When preaching is rooted in Scripture and centered on Christ, it feeds the soul, strengthens faith, and guides lives.

Milton’s line challenges me and reminds me of the sacred responsibility that goes with entering the pulpit each week. When people “look up,” they’re trusting me to offer some kind of spiritual food from the Word so they can grow (see 1 Peter 2:2). To preach the Word faithfully is to ensure that the hungry are fed and the Shepherd’s voice is truly heard.