Texts of the Readings
July 23,
2006
Sixteenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Dr.
Terrance Callan
Jer 23: 1-6
X
Eph 2:13-18 X
Mark 6:30-34
Every group needs good leadership in order to achieve the
purpose for which it exists. Parishes, dioceses, the universal church,
cities, states, countries all need good leaders. In Jesus we have such a
leader, one who seeks the good of those he leads and establishes peace.
In the reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah the Lord,
through Jeremiah, pronounces woe upon the shepherds of Israel, i. e., the
leaders of Israel, particularly the king. The Lord says to them, You have
scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I
will take care to punish your evil deeds. And the Lord promises to gather
his flock back together and to appoint shepherds for them who will take good
care of them. In particular the Lord says: I will raise up a righteous
shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what
is just and right in the land.
The reading from the gospel of Mark portrays Jesus as the
fulfillment of this promise. After the apostles returned from the mission
on which Jesus had sent them, Jesus wanted to take them aside so they could
rest. People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no
opportunity even to eat. But when Jesus and the apostles went by boat to a
deserted place, the people ran to that place ahead of them and were waiting
for them when they arrived. When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was
moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and
he began to teach them many things. And afterwards Jesus fed them with
five loaves and two fish. Next Sunday we will hear the version of this
story found in the gospel of John.
The reading from the letter to the Ephesians explains that Jesus
is the leader of both Jews and Gentiles. Quoting Isaiah 57: 19 the reading
says that Jesus preached peace to you who were far off, and peace to those
who were near. Those who were near are the Jews; those who were far off
are the Gentiles. The Jews are the people of God; before the coming of
Jesus the Gentiles were strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope
and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). But Jesus made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity.
Jesus has done this by uniting Jew and Gentile in the one body
of Christ. By forming what had been two separate groups into one body, he
removes what had kept them apart, i.e., the law with its commandments and
legal claims. In this way he makes peace between the two groups; the
enmity between them was put to death when Jesus died on the cross and united
Jews and Gentiles with him in his death and resurrection. Through Jesus
both Jew and Gentile share one Holy Spirit and so have access to the Father.
This reading reminds us of two things we easily forget as 21st
century Gentile Christians. The first is that we Gentiles are late
additions to Gods people. God had called Israel to be his people centuries
before we were included. The second is that our inclusion in Gods people
should make peace between Gentile and Jew, not increase hostility, as has so
often happened in the past.
Terrance Callan
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