Genesis 33:13
And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.
Jacob, when urged to undertake a rapid and strenuous journey, declined to force the pace because his children were tender and his flocks and herds were nursing their young, recognizing that to overdrive them for even a single day would destroy the whole flock, and therefore he chose to lead them gently at a pace they could survive. His careful concern for the young and weak who could not bear to be driven too hard makes him the pattern of a faithful shepherd.
A shepherd is thereby taught to know the needs and limits of those entrusted to his care and never to drive the young and weak beyond what they are able to endure. In the same manner Jesus leads His people, for having shared human experience in all things except sin He understands human infirmities and has prepared a path fitted to human strength and capacity. He moves softly and evenly with the children at the speed they can bear, cheering them onward by the comfort of His presence as their constant guide.
He does not despise, neglect, or abandon the little ones of the flock, nor does He command others to press ahead and leave them, nor does He hasten on so quickly as to leave parents and children behind, but He has made even the path to life itself passable for children. In His name parents are required to conduct their children along the narrow way appointed by God, adjusting their leading to the strength and capacity of each child. By the same rule a husband and father must exercise this carefulness toward his wife as the mother of his children, tenderly guarding her strength and lightening her cares and burdens rather than leaving exhausting labor upon her while he is absorbed in earning a living or pursuing wealth, slowing his own pace amid the rush for wealth and power to advance only as fast as she can endure while comforting and upholding her.