First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6
1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord. 5“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. 2He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. 3He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his name’s sake. 4Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over. 6Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Second Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22
11Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands — 12remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Gospel: Mark 6:30-44
30The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42And they all ate and were satisfied. 43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Shepherds and Parenting
All parents have this in common: we all have dreams for our children. When our children are young, we take care to guide them, pray for them, encourage them, and envision a future with them. Then, at some point, we set them free to make their own decisions and way in this world. Our desire is that they will live fulfilling and satisfying lives: a life filled with fulfillment, love, and happiness. Being a parent is indeed a higher calling, so much so that Luther taught that parental responsibility and authority is second in this world only to God.
Luther taught that responsibility and authority comes from God down to parents who then delegate that responsibility and authority to others in their stead, for the good of their children and society. This is why President Lincoln, in his Gettysburg address described this great democracy as one, “of the people, by the people and for the people.”
Parenting is indeed a higher calling; it’s a call that says that we choose to put our own wants and needs aside, and put the needs of our children first, no matter what. Think about it, is there anyone in this world you prize more, or want to protect more, than your children and grandchildren?
Children evoke in us a protective reflex that’s hard to explain and even harder to duplicate. Threaten one of her children, and the most docile of women can turn into a ferocious beast, ready to fight to the death so her children won’t be harmed. Every dad I know contemplates ways to screen and sometimes scare the young men who come to call on our daughters. And every guy who has ever dated knows “that look”—that look on the face of their date’s dad when the door opens and they’re there to pick the daughter up. It’s that look that says, “I’m watching you!” It’s the look from the father that says I have 40 acres and a shovel; I know where to bury a body! It’s a look that says I know what you’re thinking, even before you do.
Sit in the car too long at the end of a date, and you’ll see the light flashing on and off from the house. Girls, you’re sitting in the living room watching television with your boyfriend, and all of a sudden, dad needs to make multiple trips to the kitchen via the living room for drinks and snacks. It’s amazing the amount of food a father can eat in a 2-hour movie. Or guys, maybe mom needs to invite your girlfriend over for dinner, all the while she’s surreptitiously watching the girl’s interactions with you to make sure she’s the kind of girl who won’t break your heart!
There’s an inborn instinct given to a parent to look out for their children, one which is closely akin to “shepherding”, at least the kind of shepherd God was imagining for the people of God. What’s interesting is, when we read the descriptions of a “good” shepherd, both in the Hebrew scriptures and in the gospels, we hopefully notice that this isn’t a mere job description, it’s more of a spirit description. God is describing a relationship of a shepherd to a flock that goes way beyond the pale, way beyond a position that you either sign up for, or take on for paid wages.
Shepherding, at least the kind God imagines, requires a parental kind of bond, a loving engagement that dreams of the very best for every one of your sheep, a life of nourishment, contentment, joy, and abundance. In fact, the shepherd loves and cares for their sheep enough to lay down their life for those sheep. Parenting, like shepherding, was intended to be an all-in kind of commitment. Think about it!
For those who are familiar with Jewish culture, you’ve no doubt heard that shepherds were not the cream of society. Shepherds were from the lower classes of society and were often portrayed as thieves, lazy and deceitful sort of people. When we hear about the common shepherd, we have a tendency to think of these people as lazy, spending their days with wool-shearing, or wandering around in search of green grass, leading their flocks to safe, “still waters”, if we want to repeat our favorite psalm. But despite the many misconceptions about shepherds, we must admit that there is a nurturing side to shepherding, just as there is to parenting.
The fact is, shepherding was, and is, a dangerous profession. Shepherding, like parenting, means you must be alert 24/7, and you never get a day off. Not only will sheep easily get distracted and wander away, but the hillsides and forests, even the valleys are filled with pitfalls and predators, each eagerly waiting for a lamb to wander off alone. Some are seemingly innocent pitfalls, while other dangers wait until nightfall to come and steal our sheep away. Still other dangers can come in packs and prey upon the entire flock at once, raiding and carrying the young ones off, bleating and screaming.
To be a shepherd requires the utmost attentiveness and focus to everything going on around you. To be a shepherd means to guard the gates of the sheepfold, to watch every sheep and lamb as you travel from here to there or as they graze in the grass, and to be ready to fight to the death if a predator so much as comes near. As I said, parenting isn’t that different is it? But let me expand this analogy a bit further. While our Old Testament reading was primarily directed at Israel’s kings, priests and leaders, what prevents us from reading this passage as being directed at parents, grandparents, leaders of all spheres, and anyone who holds a position of influence over another?
As parents, leaders or people with positions of influence, we have been given tools to use, and we need to be proficient in their use. For example, the shepherd’s sling shot is one such tool and was considered a deadly weapon. Shepherds would practice and hone their skills until it became one of their weapons of war. Recall if you will when young David boasted to Saul that he had killed lions and bears with his sling shot alone. When he did this, he wasn’t necessarily boasting, he was describing the life of a skilled hillside shepherd. Despite the stigma that surrounds first century shepherds, in Old Testament times, shepherds were both athletes and warriors.
These strong and capable men carried their tools and weapons, the rod, the staff and a sling, and they weren’t afraid to use them to guide and protect their flock. As parents, grandparents and people with positions of influence today, our biggest weapon is bearing the “Word” of God. And we, like the shepherd, must hone our skills; to do this we must be in constant Bible study and prayer to know how to guide and protect our flock. Here’s an interesting question for you. In 1 Samuel 17:40, the Bible records that David picked up 5 smooth stones. David placed his faith in God to slay Goliath, so why did David pick up five smooth stones, not a single stone?
The answer is alluded to in the Bible in that Goliath had 4 giant brothers. David chose five stones preparing for the possibility of having to deal with the brothers as well. You see David didn’t just rely on his ability with a single problem, David trusted God and prepared for the possibility of unforeseen problems. David’s trust in the Lord to give him the confidence to defend those entrusted to him against any and all threats. A good and Godly shepherd prepares for the unforeseen and uses the tools entrusted to them and trusts that God will empowerment them to do whatever is needed in whatever the circumstance. This is how we exercise our faith!
That’s the kind of shepherd God chooses when he chose young David to be the king of Israel. David was prepared to lay down his life for the Hebrew nation. This is why the Bible tells us that David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). A shepherd, parent, grandparent or leader is one who studies “to show themselves approved” (2 Tim. 2:15) and has learned to read the signs of the times, one who can stay alert to the ways of the world and head off trouble before it becomes a destructive kind of force. A shepherd is one whose heart is in tune with God’s word and will. For the shepherds of today, we, along with king David boldly proclaim, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want…” (Ps 23)
God, through His prophet Ezekiel, demonstrates for us the heart of a shepherd, “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice” (Ez. 34:11-16).
When we place our faith and trust in God, God will equip His shepherds to both guide and guard. He will give us the wisdom we need to read the signs around us and do what needs done to protect, preserve and nurture those under our care. Through prayer and study, we will learn to chart the way. We’ll be given the wisdom we need to establish and maintain the necessary boundaries and enforce those boundaries when needed. We’ll be given the strength to stay alert to threats and those who would prey upon the flock.
God will provide His loyal shepherds with the tools they need to remain prepared, trustworthy and faithful. And strengthen by the Holy Spirit, they will, if needed be prepared to lay down their lives for the sheep. What motivates a shepherd of God is a purpose far loftier than their next meal or paycheck, or their hours on the clock. God’s shepherds are both fully engaged in God’s mission in the world. Therefore, we can remain steadfast in our call because we know that we serve a God who “never slumbers nor sleeps” (Ps. 121:4).
The truth is, God has no patience for a sleeping shepherd. God calls us to not be mere stargazers, but workers in His kingdom. Jesus said, as my disciples, “look for the signs of the times and interpret them, just as you look at the weather or the sky.” We’re to be ever ready and constantly alert to what’s going on around us and alert to the threats that endanger our sheep and that lurk in the shadows. We’re called to be alert and about the Father’s business in the world, watching over, training, and preparing those in our care to do the same. This is the responsibility God has given to His shepherds.
God doesn’t send us into the world on behalf of our “own” mission, our own opinions, our own agendas, our own pet projects! Jesus asks us to go on His mission, to follow Him, and to point others to Him. Sadly, too many today have forgotten their call and are busy leading God’s sheep astray; leading them down a path of destruction. And God through Jeremiah is very clear in His warning: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:1-3).
We’ve been called to the work of God’s kingdom, to faithfully share God’s word of truth, to teach, to nurture, and to support. And we don’t do this alone. As we embark on the path of discipleship, we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit, so we have no need to be afraid to walk head on into an unknown world of predators, dangers, threats, and unanticipated challenges in order to lead God’s flocks to the Living water.
Shepherds of God are God’s people of the fields –God’s mission fields, who spend their time in relationship with God and in relationship with others, praying, discerning, studying, awake to God’s promises and way in the world. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, said to all of us, I am the Living Water, the only water that will sustain your life, fulfill your spirit, cultivate and nourish you body and soul. We are His shepherds. We’re not called to simply put in our time on Sunday mornings. We’re not just doing our bit until our time is up and we can clock out. God’s shepherds never clock out.
Furthermore, God’s people never fall asleep inside the sheep fold. We as God’s shepherds do not following our own vision. We’re sent into the world strengthened by the waters of baptism, and His body and blood of His holy supper. We, as God’s shepherds, as leaders, parents, grandparents, as teachers, workers, business owners, and professionals are called to go, to guide and guard the flock and to gather the lost in God’s name and for God’s kingdom.
Parenting like shepherding is indeed a higher calling. It’s a responsibility that comes with a lot of demands and responsibilities. But we have no need to let this disturb us for Jesus assured us, “[My] peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27). And as the psalmist reminds us, we can be comforted, because even when we walk through the dark valleys of this life, we have nothing to fear, because God is with us.
Amen
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