Like Sheep Without A Shepherd

 

Deacon Dave · Like Sheep Without A Shepherd

Homily for the 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, July 21, 2024. Gospel: Mark 6:30-34. Theme: Like Sheep Without A Shepherd 

Jesus’ comment at the end of today’s Gospel about the crowd being like a flock of shepherdless sheep is based on the everyday experiences of people in ancient Palestine. They were extremely familiar with sheep and knew that these animals are quite vulnerable without a shepherd to guide and protect them. Sheep learn to recognize the voice of their own shepherd, so when strangers attempt to herd them, they become bewildered and confused; they wander and are easily misled. They become easy prey for predators such as wolves and thieves. 

 The people of Jesus’ time were without leaders who were truly concerned for their ultimate good. An oppressive Roman governor and a treacherous half-Jew named Herod were their political rulers. Their religious leaders were the Jewish Sanhedrin (which was much like a supreme court) who as a group were more dedicated to maintaining their own status than in providing spiritual direction. The Sanhedrin were so strict and demanding about observing the Law of Moses that the people found their teachings to be oppressive and burdensome. 

This is why our Gospel passage says that Jesus’ heart “was moved with pity” for the people. Actually, the word “pity” is a bit lacking. What it really says in Biblical Greek is that Jesus was “moved deep within his gut”, which better conveys the profound compassion and empathy of Jesus for the people who were being spiritually abused. Their religious leaders failed to act as humble servants, as true ministers of God. They withheld the nourishment of spiritually healthy food that could uplift the people’s spirits and strengthen their hearts to keep pressing forward under their difficult political and social situation. 

I think we find ourselves in a similar situation today. We also have social, political and religious leaders who do not act in our best interests. They seem and act more obsessed with preserving their power than in serving our needs. They expend great energy and money (our money actually) in promoting their self-interests, in protecting their prestige and maintaining their positions. And when they speak so many of them engage in the corruption of truth. So many false voices…so many fake shepherds…so many confused and misled sheep! And so, like sheep without a shepherd we too can easily become bewildered and confused. 

 And so it is that today’s Gospel places before each one of us an important question: Who is my shepherd? That is, who is it that I listen to and follow? To whom do I look as a pattern for the way I want to shape and live my life? Whose words and wisdom give meaning and direction to my existence? For those who call themselves Christian, the answer must be Jesus, but then this leads to an even more deeply vital question: Why? Why do we follow Jesus? Why do we believe he is the Son of God and Messiah? Is it because we were told these things as a child by our parents and grandparents? Faith passed on in the family is indeed a beautiful gift, but it is not enough! 

 Faith in Jesus must become a personal conviction, a matter of one’s own choosing. If it does not reach this level it will not be enough to identify and reject false shepherds. In order to become deaf to the lies and chatter that echo all around us, every Christian must become personally convinced that Jesus was who he said he was; that he did miracles that the disciples testify that he did; that he is the Messiah who fulfilled the Jewish prophecies; that he intentionally established an organized Church with authority to teach and interpret the Bible in his name; and that he is, indeed, risen from the dead, alive and present among us today. It is only this kind of faith, built upon the solid rock of truth, that will be able to recognize and reject false messages and false shepherds. 

But this kind of maturation in faith doesn't “just happen”. We need to study so that the mind is fed spiritually by the words of Jesus and the intellect is enlightened by his teachings. To help in this regard, St. Sebastian’s offers Sunday morning Bible Study, sends out several Flocknotes every week on the Liturgy and various aspects of the Faith, and stocks our pamphlet rack in the vestibule of the church with free material that teaches sound doctrine. But while feeding the mind is indeed important, it is not enough! It is not sufficient to simply know (even a lot) about Jesus and what he said. We have to know Jesus himself, to grow to know him in relationship as a Person, Risen and Alive. 

 And this can only be done by the grace of God by the action of the Holy Spirit, working in us through prayer and the sacraments. We need to converse daily with Jesus from the heart and in our own words, sharing honestly and openly what is on our minds as we would with any close friend. We need to do this in an atmosphere of silence so that we can hear his response. If we listen carefully, we will hear from deep within us his gentle voice inviting us to build a personal relationship with him whose heart is moved to pity for love of us. Without this kind of intimate familiarity with our Good Shepherd, we will become wandering sheep who are easy prey for the false shepherds who are all around us.