July 26, 2024
When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them. ~ Mark 6:34 The Message
Dibry Pasterz: The Good Shepherd: No one takes it from me.
In Jesus’ time people were yearning for a shepherd to take care of them. In the Hebrew Scriptures, shepherd is often a term used for a king. When Jesus came along with his compassion, his healing miracles, and his attentiveness to needs of the least, last, and lost, people imagined that he might be the Messiah – a political and military leader who would drive out the Romans, restore the nation and religion, and bring justice to all.
Their stated political shepherd, Herod Antipas, was a pawn of the Roman Emperor, who was more interested in throwing drunken parties to boist his ego and popularity with the most important political and religious leaders and his friends than in the needs of the people. The prophet Ezekiel 34 described bad shepherds this way: they feed themselves and not the flock, they eat the fat and clothe themselves in wool, they slaughter the fatted calves but do not feed the sheep. They do not strengthen the weak or heal the sick or bind up the injured or bring back the strays, or seek the lost, but rule with force and harshness. That’s operating out of sense of scarcity.
Jesus stood in stark contrast to Herod, with a heart of compassion that broke when he saw the depth of human suffering. Through his words and deeds of feeding, healing, and tending to those most in need of help he modeled what a good shepherd does. Psalm 23 described good shepherds this way: They provide clean, green places of rest; lead to still waters; restores souls; leads in righteous paths; walks through the deepest and darkest of valleys; provides the comfort of boundaries; keeps fear at bay; finds and feeds and comforts the lost; follows with goodness and mercy; and dwells together with the sheep forever. That’s operating out of a sense of abundance.
Jesus the shepherd refused to become a political or military leader. He had a calling that only he could fulfill: to live the love of God’s love even beyond the point of death. He was and is the Messiah, the Savior.
Follow him to find your way. ~ Anne
Wayfinding 