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| Carl Block (Danish, 19th Century) |
As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had
compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he
began to teach them many things. (Mark 6:34)
What
is it with the Gospel writers and this sheep and shepherd thing? I guess this
was their prime metaphor for leaders and followers. Jeremiah, in the First
Lesson assigned for Pentecost 9 in the Revised Common Lectionary (Jeremiah
23:1-6) warns—and rightly so as it turns out—that bad “shepherding” will have
dire consequences for the sheep. After all, if you hire some bozo to look after
your sheep and he doesn’t know what he’s doing, you’re not going to have much
of a flock. The sheep will get lost or go hungry or get eaten by wolves or
something.
Fun
fact: the word “pastor” comes from a Latin verb which means “to lead to
pasture” as a shepherd would lead a flock; subsequently, pastor is synonymous
with “shepherd.” It’s an uncomfortable truth that a poor “shepherd” can send an
otherwise healthy congregation into a death spiral, but the best pastor in the
world can’t seem to keep a congregation from declining, nor can she or he grow
a congregation. Shepherds don’t beget sheep. Sheep beget sheep—but only with
the help of the Holy Spirit.
Of
course, the warning Jeremiah is giving in this lesson is actually about
political leadership. Given his circumstances back in Judea in the 7th
century BCE, he had a pretty good point. The king and his court were a bunch of
dufuses who, through arrogance, selfishness, impiety, and miscalculation,
managed to flush their country down the dumper. Nothing God’s prophets said or
did could keep them from doing it.
Leadership
is a pretty topical subject in this year of the presidential election. Still,
if you’re like me, you might be feeling just a bit exhausted by the subject. Doesn’t
it feel like this current election cycle has been going on for about the last
twenty years? I mean, we are suffocated with campaign ads on TV and
requests for donations on our phones, in the mail, and in our email accounts. The
endless news coverage about who is an old, doddering geezer or who is a
mendacious autocrat is slowly sucking the air out of our lungs. Don’t you just
wish you could get in a boat and go away to a deserted place where you don’t
have to listen to or worry about all of this?
So,
okay. I recognize folks just want to come to church and find a little sanctuary
from the world, so I’ll steer clear of anything topical.
This
does, however, lead me to our appointed Gospel text (Mark 6:30-34, 53-56). Here
we find Jesus and the disciples in just about the same boat (pun intended) we’re
in. The guys have been preaching and healing and exorcising their butts off, so
Jesus tells them it’s time for a break. Unfortunately, even though they think they’re
headed for a little R & R, the needy folks have other ideas. Jesus and his
buddies can’t even sail off for a little picnic lunch without being hassled by
a horde of sick and desperate people. But Jesus can’t just say, “Sorry, dudes.
We’re on vacation. You’ll have to wait ‘til we get back or go find another
Messiah.” No. Not even Jesus can escape the noise of the world. So, what do we
take from this?
First,
remember Jesus had the ability to show compassion for the multitude even when
he was trying to find some rest. Nevertheless, he wanted the disciples to take
a breather. Rest from responsibility, work, or even worrying about the state of
the world is really important. Sometimes you just have to shut stuff off. It’s
okay. Jesus said so. You won’t go to Hell for being kind to yourself every once
in a while.
Second,
sheep need a shepherd. I think what brought about Jesus’ compassion for the
crowd in this story wasn’t their hunger or their illnesses. It was their
desperation and confusion. The text doesn’t say he began to heal their sick.
That happens in the later part of the reading which is really a separate story[i]. Instead, it says Jesus
began to teach them. True leadership involves giving people the truth
and leading them to a place of understanding. Jesus is the Good Shepherd
because he teaches us love of enemies, inclusion, compassion, trust, mercy,
humility, non-violence, and personal sacrifice for the sake of others. These
are the things which God values. The shepherds of this world may have a
different view, but the things of Christ are what bring us to a place of peace.
Finally,
even when we desperately need a rest, God can give us the strength to go on.
When the needs of the world are relentless, we remember that God’s power and
love are even more relentless. A prayer for strength will always be
answered because we serve a mighty God.
Whatever
the wisdom or folly of our earthly shepherds, we know that it is the will of
our Good Shepherd to lead us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake
and restore our souls. His is the voice we know and follow.
I
hope you’re taking it easy sometime this week, my friend. May God’s peace be
with you ‘til we meet again.
[i]
There’s that whole feeding the 5,000 and walking on water business that comes
in between the two parts of this reading.
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