Living
as we do here, out in the countryside, surrounded by fields, I suspect that the
imagery in this morning’s readings is not completely lost on us. We are used to
sheep and the shepherds who look after them. The care and devotion which a
Shepherd should devote to his flock is a sign of God's love and care for us,
and to those of us who have been given pastoral responsibility in the church it
serves as a reminder of who and what we are supposed to be: its cost, and the
responsibility we share for the care of Christ’s flock, the burden and the joy.
In this morning's first reading, we see what
happens when it goes wrong. The Kings of Israel are not true shepherds as they
exercise power which destroys and drives away the sheep. They don't care for
the well-being of the people, who have scattered, gone wandering off, as the
mood takes them. It's all gone horribly wrong; and yet God, the true shepherd
of our souls, does not leave his people comfortless. He promises to give them a
good Shepherd, and through the words of the prophet Jeremiah points towards his
son, the good Shepherd, who will lay down his life for his sheep.
In St Paul's letter to the Ephesians we see
the work of the good Shepherd and its fruits. He gives us life through his
death. Through him the flock is united, that which divides, that which keeps us
apart has been overcome by Jesus, he restores our relationship to one another
and to God the Father, by laying down his life, by giving himself for us upon
the cross and here in the Eucharist, where we the people of God are fed by God,
are fed with God, to be built up into a holy nation, to become more like him,
to have a hope of heaven, and of eternal peace and joy with him. In conquering
the world and sin, Christ shows us that there is nothing God cannot do or will
not do for love of us. All divisions, all human sinfulness can be reconciled
through Him who was sinless, who gave himself to be tortured and killed that we
might be free and live forever.
In this morning’s Gospel we see a picture of
what good shepherds are like. Jesus and the apostles have been teaching the
people, it’s a wonderful thing but it does take its toll. The disciples tell
Jesus that it’s time to have a rest, to spend some time alone, in prayer and
refreshment. The people are so many; their needs are so great that the apostles
have not had time to even eat. It is a recognisable picture, and it shows us
how great was the people’s need for God, for God’s teaching, for his love and
reconciliation. Jesus does not send them away he takes pity on them because
they are like sheep without a Shepherd, and he, the good Shepherd, will lay
down his life for his sheep. His people are hungry so they will be fed by God,
with God. God offers himself as food for his people and continues to do so: he
will feed us here today, feed us with his body and blood, with his word, so
that we may be fed, may be nourished, may be strengthened to live our lives,
that we may live lives which follow him, that we may have the peace which
passes all understanding. It's a wonderful gift, which comes at a tremendous
cost, which shows us how loving and generous God is towards us His people. Our
response should be gratitude that we are fed in this way, that we have been
reconciled to God through him. We should live lives fashioned after his
example, lives which show his love and his truth to the world, lives which
proclaim his victory, lives which will attract people to come inside the
sheep-fold, to have new life in Jesus, to be with Jesus, to be fed by him, to
be fed with him.
It’s a difficult thing to do, to live this
life, to follow His example but with God’s help, and by helping each other to
do it together, we can, and thereby give glory to God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit, to whom be ascribed as is most right and just, all
might, majesty, glory dominion, and power, now and forever.
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