16th Ordinary-B

I. Intro – Shepherds and Sheep

A. Relationship used often in Scripture – leaders of God’s people and followers

1. 160 shepherds and 815 sheep

2. Foreign to our 21 C urban life but still appropriate

B. Sheep are not autonomous creatures – not capable of independence

1. No feral packs of sheep

2. Need a shepherd to feed, protect and guide them

3. Sheep’s welfare is dependent on the quality & character of shepherd

C. Through our salvation history there have been good and bad

1. There have been shepherds that imitate the Good Shepherd

2. There have been those who did not – Jeremiah: “Woe to them”

II. Jeremiah

A. “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!”

1. Kings and rulers of God’s people are not getting the job done

a) Driven away rather than herded together

b) Exposed rather than protected

c) Allowed to wander rather than be guided

2. Lord speaks to the sheep directly

a) Don’t worry about punishment – only I can judge them

b) The Lord’s priority is the sheep “I WILL….”

c) Gather the remnant; bring them back to the fold; Set new shepherds God will shepherd

3. In the future

a) “A righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely Human will shepherd? Paradox

b) The Definitive Good Shepherd, Jesus the Lord!

III. Gospel – Jesus is the middle of forming His apostles to be good shepherds

A. Just return from their first missionary trip preaching repentance

1. Great success – anointed, cured and expelled demons

2. Deserve a rest? YES, but the sheep are needy

B. Jesus took pity (empathic, not condescending) on them

1. “for they were like sheep without a shepherd

2. Once again, the sheep are priority #1

3. Jesus models for His apostles what a Good Shepherd does

4. He taught them at great length many things

IV. Are we like this throng that has sought out Jesus, looking for a shepherd?

A. If no, is it because we don’t like the image of mindless sheep?

1. We resist being under the protection/guidance/direction of anyone

2. Our rebellious spirit says, “Shepherds? We don’t need no stinking shepherds!”

3. We all need the flock and we all need spiritual guidance.

B. Are we confused by the variety of ‘shepherds’ vying for our allegiance?

C. There is no shortage of self-important shepherds ready to lead us in noble causes

1. Gospel of equity through diversity; gospel of prosperity through free enterprise; gospel of pragmatic scientism; gospel of individual freedom over the common good

2. All of these are divisive in purpose, aimed to separate rather than unite

3. St. Paul tells us that these are the opposite of what Jesus and His sacrifice of Himself came to accomplish

V. St. Paul to the Ephesians

A. The Law was the profound gift of God’s Self-Revelation to His People

1. Given to Moses Jesus came not to abolish but to fulfill

2. The Law Distinguished God’s People from all else – pagans

3. Purpose was to avoid pagan influence barrier

B. “Fence” built around the law were the man-made precepts of the priests

1. Dietary, cleanliness, contact designed to separate Jews

2. Symbolically represented by the wall in the Temple (Gentile Court)

3. This the “enmity” of which St. Paul speaks

C. This disunity may have been accepted as “Just the way things are”

1. God would not settle for that for His flock

2. God’s remedy for this problem was Jesus

3. Jesus accomplished two reconciliations through His sacrificial death

a) Jews to Pagans

b) All to God the Father

c) How? “Through the blood of His Cross”

D. If God would not tolerate a disharmony among people, how can we?

1. As disciples, we can never settle for the status quo that includes a chasm between left and right, pagan and believers, haves and have nots.

2. As disciples, we must be agents of reconciliation, not division

3. Not compromising the Truth of the Gospel but speaking it in respectful dialogue

E. Today’s scriptures exhort us to pray:

1. For the humility to be sheep obedient to the direction of the shepherds God has given us in His Church

2. For these shepherds, that they selflessly feed, protect and guide us, their flock in the Truth of the Gospel

3. That we be the agents of reconciliation through the grace received from Jesus, the Good Shepherd, “For he is our peace”