Shepherds Who Scatter
Photo by Günter Beer on Unsplash
The Old Testament reading for today:
From Jeremiah 23:1-6
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”
Sobering words for anyone aspiring to shepherdhood. “I will raise up…”. Sobering also for seminaries and boards invested with the authority to “raise up.” May God bless you all who engage this fraught vocation.
A constant evaluation for those of us called and tasked with shepherding. Easy to focus on the "other" shepherds, but I need to look to myself as well. On Sunday, yet.