While talking about this blog with my wife, she reminded me that sheep are notorious for following the leader–any leader. Marie grew up on a farm, and the wool from her sheep provided a significant portion of her undergraduate tuition. Readings for this weekend deal with “sheep” and their need for a wise and loving leader. (So you already see where I’m going with this?) When these paragraphs were originally written, the speakers could see a clear analogy with the people of their day; preachers & teachers must not be shy about bringing these scriptures into contemporary understanding!
Jeremiah complained (Jeremiah 23:1-6) that the shepherds of Judah had sold out to the Establishment and not attended to the well-being of their flock. The royal house and its sycophants have chosen greed and oppression over justice and righteousness, and God is dismayed. But all is not lost! “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely…” Even though God’s People may soon be scattered, says the prophet, we are not utterly forsaken. Dare we proclaim that better days are coming, even though we fear that our leaders seem to have bailed out on us?
“Remember,” says the writer of the Letter to the Ephesian Church, “that at one time…you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (2:11-22) It’s useful to remember these periods of crises in our holy-history, because greed and injustice seem to be endemic to humanity; each generation must deal with them. The passage goes on to affirm Christ as savior and dispenser of peace to Jew and Gentile alike, and that everyone is joined together in the holy temple of God.
Two similar Gospel stories present themselves–Mark 6:30-34 and 53-56. Jesus & Co. were trying to get away to catch their breath, even to Gennesaret, a town in a foreign country. BUT people recognized them, and came for healing, feeding and comfort. “As [Jesus] went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd…” Who’s in charge, here? Anybody home? When a Messiah, a Savior or a charismatic politician show up, folks begin to Feel the Bern and realize both that they’re just drifting around AND that God cares about their wholeness.
If I were preaching this weekend, I’d create a sermon which points out the wide difference between the Wholeness of the Kingdom of God and the current preoccupation with military safety and bottom-line profits, irregardless of who gets hurt in the process. The Church is an alternative to selfishness and power: we’re to reflect the teachings of Jesus about unconditional love, tolerance and peace. There’s always a choice–between the adherence to the virtues of God or going along with the wickedness of one who only THINKS he’s God!
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My interpretation of Scripture assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
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