Musings on the
Lectionary Readings for Proper 1, Ordinary
16 Sunday (paired to the Gospel) July 20, 2003 by Philip W. Gilman |
Jer. 23: 1--6
Ah,
shepherds who let the flock of My pasture stray and scatter!-- declares the LORD. (1) This
passage presents me with an enormous temptation to go on a rant concerning the shepherds who should
tend My people: It is you who let My flock scatter and go astray. (2b,c) Pay attention to the language. Does My pasture mean your church, your
denomination? Or does it refer to God's
world?
And notice the caustic sarcasm: shepherds who should tend My people
but who, in God's eyes, do not.
Instead, they
let My flock scatter and go astray. So what do you think will happen when you
shut the church doors to keep My people out?
But for the scattered and strayed,
God has a different tone of voice: one of grace and determined restoration.
And this is the name by which he shall be called: AThe LORD is our Vindicator.@ (6b) The name of our Savior is not Anglican,
Baptist, Catholic, Disciples, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian or any other
Church, but the LORD.
Psalm 23
·
The LORD is my shepherd;
I lack nothing. (1b,c)
Take
heart, all you sheep who, like me, are scattered and have gone astray.
The LORD is [our] shepherd; AThe LORD is our Vindicator.@
Eph. 2: 11--22
·
Remember
then your former condition, Gentiles as you are by birth, 'the uncircumcised'
as you are called by those who call themselves 'the circumcised' because of a
physical rite. (11)
The
Apostle makes abundantly clear that no physical rite of any sort is of
benefit to you. Rather, such rites tend
to make proud and smug those who rely on them.
Remember, it was the apostate king Saul who demanded foreskins for
appeasement (1Sam. 18: 25).
·
You
were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the community... but now
in union with Christ Jesus you have been brought near through the shedding of
Christ's blood. For [Jesus] is himself
our peace. (12..14a)
Contrary
to Church doctrine,
[Christ] has annulled the law with its rules and regulations (15a). Remember:
·
The LORD is my shepherd;
I lack nothing.
Mark 6: 30--34, 53--56
When [Jesus] came ashore and saw a
large crowd, his heart went out to them, because they were like sheep without a
shepherd (34a,b). Why? Because, as God told Jeremiah, the shepherds who should tend My
people... gave no thought to them (Jer. 23: 2b-d). Therefore YHWH devised a remedy: And I will appoint over them
shepherds who will tend them; they shall no longer fear or be dismayed, and
none of them shall be missing-- declares the LORD. (Jer. 23: 4)
So,
shepherds, for which do you care more: the law with its rules and regulations
or the flock of My
pasture?
·
Goodness and mercy
shall follow
me all the days
I follow
Jesus.[1]
[1] Haiku poem by Phil Gilman. Please feel free to utilize anything by me;
just give God the
Glory, Praise and Thanks and me whatever
credit may be due.
(comments to Phil at ENAPXH@juno.com )