16th Sunday OT
What do sheep without a shepherd look like? I mean, if you see a bunch of sheep in a field, how can you tell whether or not they have a shepherd? What if they have a shepherd, but he's sound asleep under a tree? Or maybe he's out looking for wolves to attack the flock? Is there a difference btw “not having a shepherd” and “having an evil or lazy shepherd”? Lots of questions this morning! But here's the big one: can a collection of sheep be a flock if there is no one to shepherd them? It would seem that without a shepherd sheep are just sheep wandering around randomly munching grass. The shepherd makes the flock. Jesus knows this, so he takes pity on the people wandering aimlessly around a “deserted place.” How does he shepherd them? He begins to teach. Mark says he teaches them “many things.” He doesn't say what those things are exactly, but we can assume these are the things they need to become a flock – a collection of souls needing direction and purpose. When a shepherd teaches, he conveys to his flock all that the Lord has given him to convey. And nothing more. Each one of us is a sheep. Each one of us is a shepherd.
Pay careful attention then to Jeremiah: “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. . .I will take care to punish your evil deeds.” That's quite the warning! So, we need to know what it is to “mislead and scatter the flock.” An actual shepherd might lead his/her flock off a cliff. Or leave them abandoned, food for the wolves. Or he/she might poison their food or water. A shepherd of the faith, a teacher, might lead a flock out of the Church in schism. Or teach lies instead of truth. He/she might sprinkle bits and pieces of doctrinal poison in with some truth and slowly kill the flock. Now, you might be thinking: thank God I'm not a shepherd! I don't have to worry about teaching falsehood! Ah, but you are a shepherd and you do have to worry. You aren't a priest or a bishop. You aren't a professional theologian. You might not teach religion in a school or work with an RCIA program as an instructor. BUT. . .you are a teacher of the faith. You have children. You have family, friends, neighbors. You have co-workers, classmates. You meet strangers everyday while you're out and about. They are your misled and scattered sheep. What are you teaching them by your words and deeds?
Mark says that Jesus looks out on the crowd and has pity on them. Another translation for “pity” is “compassion.” Compassion is the profound consciousness that another is suffering and a deep desire to alleviate their suffering. NB. that the crowd clamoring after Jesus is suffering from ignorance. They don't know. And not knowing is causing them pain. They suffer that pain – they allow it – b/c they don't fully understand their ignorance. They don't know what they don't know. They only know that something is missing. Something is absent in their lives. They are the poor in spirit. So Jesus alleviates their poverty by teaching them the truth of the Gospel. After they are fed the Word, he feeds them with the miracle of the fishes and loaves. First, he alleviates their spiritual hunger. Then, he alleviates their physical hunger. No doubt he teaches them that their Covenant with the Father is fulfilled with his coming into the world. That their sins are forgiven and all they need do is receive His gift of mercy in baptism. That once baptized they are – each one of them – a priest, prophet, and king, charged with sacrificing and mediating for others; teaching and preaching God's Word; and providing for the least among them. And that there is no greater love than to die for a friend. That's what shepherds do for their sheep.
So, as a shepherd, a teacher, for the flock given to you, do you need to get degrees in scripture, theology, and philosophy? No. Do you need to memorize the Catechism and the Bible and be ready to quote Church documents from memory? No. Do you need to follow Christ, pray daily, read the Bible, be ready to defend your hope in the resurrection, and forgive unconditionally? Absolutely. You teach the faith with compassion wherever you find yourself, and you teach in word and deed. Your students/flock are crazy Dallas drivers. The cashier at Kroger. Your spouse. Your kids. The people you work with everyday. Your customers and your manager. Show them compassion by showing them Christ's love. And avoid the promised fate of misleading shepherds.
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