Why do we need a shepherd?
In our reading from Jeremiah this Sunday, the Lord’s message
is clear: the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock will be replaced by
a new shepherd, one appointed by God
himself, who will reign and govern
wisely, doing what is just and right
in the land. This righteous shoot to David who, in Psalm 23, merits our trust because of all the care he shows us throughout our lives,
is of course Jesus himself, the shepherd who is at our side, giving us courage
and repose, guiding us in right paths. In the gospel reading, Mark tells us that
Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for
the crowds who followed him into the desert, for they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.
Why do we need a shepherd?
The image of shepherd is double:
he is both leader and companion.
By putting ourselves into the hands of the shepherd, we know true hesed, the nurturing care of mother love
that is covenant love. But we must first
be open to being loved by God; only then can God lift us out of all fear, giving us confidence in his
promise to accompany us always. Our
journey in faith is to encounter the perfect love of God over and over, until
we can be open to that love, trusting
that God will never abandon us. Jesus
came to establish peace, as Paul
tells the Ephesians; he is our peace. In Jesus, all enmity is put to death, so that all might reconcile with God. Our job
is to trust in the Lord of our truth, Jesus, the shepherd who leads us in
truth, through death to life, daily.
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
Image source: Wordle
No comments:
Post a Comment