Prof. Dr. Ludwig
Schmidt
Ezekiel 34: 1-6
Misericordias Domini
Some things never change were my thoughts as I read the
critical bible text about the shepherds of Israel. Of
course, one cannot put the blame entirely on the men and
women who have leading positions in politics, economics
or the Church. Many of them are fully aware of their
responsibilities and carry out their duties to the best
of their abilities. But for the others, the two
accusations made against the shepherds, raise the same
questions. The first being, you live from the herd but
you don't feed them. The shepherds were not criticized
for clothing and feeding themselves from the herd, that
is their perfect right. The envy towards "those
above us" lies somewhat further away from our text,
in which we do not begrudge the earnings and other
advantages that these people have through their high
positions. Criticism stems from the fact that some of
these people use these positions only to gain money and
high esteem.
There are such "shepherds" in our world today.
Occasionally a man or woman decides to enter into
politics because they receive a larger income than from
their own occupation. Perhaps they want to be exposed to
the press or media so that they can feel themselves to be
an important person and then they can pursue their own
aims and wishes through their political work. They do not
see politics as a function to protect and look after the
communities, although this should be an undivided
commitment. This, the rulers of Israel did not want to
accept for the truth. That is why, in the second
accusation in the bible text, they were accused of not
looking after people in need, as was their duty. They
even suppressed the strong who were not dependent on
their protection. They were only interested in their own
profit and power.
In the text, a woeful picture is painted of the leaders
of Israel. Every city is subjected to great damage when
people in power fail miserably but Israel wasn't any old
nation, God had chosen these people to give his land to
and His leaders were to ensure that the nation lived as
God's people. With their failure, the rulers of Israel
had not only ruined a city but the nation as well.
Through their conduct, many Israelites had to leave the
land that God had given to them. They went to live in
countries where the leaders had different religions to
their own.
But God does not leave His people. In the text, He tells
us that He will bring back the Israelites to their own
land and will personally take over the responsibilities
that the leaders failed to do themselves. This promise
came true with Jesus Christ. Indeed, God carried out his
promise in a somewhat different guise to what was written
in the text. Today, Jews live in many different lands and
it will probably never happen that they will all come
together in Israel, a land that is not, at best, a fat
pasture. The people there must work hard for their
existence.
God keeps his promise but keeps to himself how he will
carry it out. With Jesus, God goes beyond the promises he
makes in our bible reading. Jesus is not only the good
shepherd for the people of the Old Testament but also for
Jews and non-Jews. For all and everyone of us, He gave
His life on the cross. There lies the difference between
Him and the rulers of Israel, whose only intent was to
reap their own advantages. Even as He was dying, he
proved to be the good shepherd and because He rose again
from the dead, even today, He fulfills God's promise made
in the text:
"I will seek that which was lost, and bring again
that which was driven away, and will bind up that which
was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick,: but
I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them
with judgement."
Jesus seeks the lost and brings back the wayward. He
showed this in an exemplary way how he dealt with the tax
collectors and sinners. They went their own way and did
not bother about God. In the community that Jesus
granted, they found that even for them, God himself was
not far away and through this experience, they changed
their attitude. This happens just as much today when
Jesus enters into someone's life.
There are not only the people who have been brought up in
the Christian faith and remain Christian throughout there
lives but there are also people who become Christian,
although they have not been a member of a religion or
shown any interest in God at all. Jesus does not define
people to what they are, or writes them off. That is good
to know as no-one can guarantee their Christian beliefs.
In our lives, we sometimes tread the wrong paths and it
can be that our views on life get stuck in a rut. Because
Jesus seeks the lost, we can be sure that He brings us
back onto the right path.
Jesus binds the wounded and strengthens the weak.
Everybody wants to be healthy and strong. They who are
healthy, worry about becoming so ill that they need to
rely on help from strangers for the rest of their lives.
How often does one hear "As long as you have your
health, that is all that matters." But no-one knows
if they will become a nursing case. Jesus does not
guarantee us our health but he will support us when we
are weak and miserable. Many people have found comfort
from a bible text or thought, to help them through a bad
illness. Perhaps, you too have experienced this, or seen
it in other people. Jesus binds the wounds of life. We
often say "Time heals." Some wounds are not
healed with time but the pain dulls. I am thinking, for
example, of parents who have to bury their child. That
pain stays with them for decades. They ask themselves
constantly "Why?" If they feel safe in Jesus,
this question will not cease but they will learn to live
with it. They will be spared the torment of asking
themselves if they did everything they could have, to
save their child. This example is given as one of the
many pains that have to be endured in our lives.
Jesus protects the fat and strong. When our bible reading
was written, even the healthiest and strongest sheep
could not survive without a shepherd. They were either
eaten by wild animals or they wandered away from the rest
and got lost in the wilderness and slowly perished.
People too, who at the moment have no problems, are made
aware that Jesus is protecting them. One hears over again
"The Christian faith is only there for the weak. On
the contrary, I am strong and can master my life
myself." But whoever lives without Jesus will be
consumed by death. He has no hope that transcends his
earthly life and that is a shame as Jesus said that his
sheep will find everlasting life with God. For that, he
died and arose again. Through him, our lives have a
purpose beyond death. Of course, we stand in danger of
losing sight of our goals. Our thoughts are often taken
over by the everyday demands and problems. In our
pluralistic age, we jostle against several philosophies
and religions. They can gain ones attention so strongly,
that people don't know in which direction to go. We
depend on Jesus to keep the objective of everlasting life
before our eyes, so that we don't lose sight of our
bearings.
With the vow of everlasting life, Jesus reaches out
beyond the text where God gathers the scattered sheep and
leads them to pasture but does not promise them
everlasting life. Through Jesus, this announcement takes
on a different meaning. Christians live in the world
together with people of various religions and
philosophies. One can hardly portray the picture of the
sheep feeding off a pasture. Their lives often take the
desert paths but this situation will change. In the
everlasting life, Christians from all lands and nations
and from all times will come together and praise God
because there will be no more suffering and death. Then
it will be quite plain that Christians really are the
herd and have a shepherd.
Amen.
Prof. Dr. Ludwig Schmidt,
Privat: Karmelitenstraße 15, 91056 Erlangen
Dienstlich: Kochstr. 6, 91054 Erlangen
Tel. 09131 - 852 - 2206, Fax 09131 - 852 - 6506
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