Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time-B
Some would say the world is a mess. The recent assassination attempt on a political figure representing half of the population bitterly divided against the other side, each claiming they are the party to save democracy. Wars are ongoing in Europe and the Middle East, and China rattling its sabers in defiance of Taiwan’s independence is just the tip of the iceberg. A parent’s right to educate their children as they see fit is being ripped from them by powerful proponents who think the future of America must include an absence of God and the perversion of gender identity. Repeated dishonesty is being mainstreamed as an acceptable mode of dialogue. Never in the history of mankind have we seen an unacceptable rise in human slavery through human trafficking.
Yeah, it seems the world is in chaos. But it isn’t the first time such disharmony has fallen upon humanity. In today’s Gospel, a similar situation appears to be occurring. Jesus began to teach his disciples what it means to be a good shepherd by first taking them aside and having them rest. Their serene time was soon interrupted by throngs of people coming to see Jesus, forcing them to escape the crowds by getting into a boat and distancing themselves from the people.
St. Mark recounts what happened next: “When he disembarked and 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”. The disciples who looked on saw the example of what a shepherd should do for his sheep. This lesson seems to be forgotten in the world today.
The final phrase in St, Mark’s description is critical in reflecting upon the example of a good shepherd. Notice what Jesus does. As with all people, the crowd has many needs, all of which could arguably be satisfied by Jesus’ intervention. Jesus does not fix them; instead, he uses the time to teach them about the Kingdom of God. He did this to show what a shepherd should do. Social justice, although important, is not what a shepherd should first be concerned with. His mission was not to supply his people with temporary and transitory relief because the need for physical necessities would surface repeatedly.
Christ was not incarnated to be a “Rice King” by solving the day’s woes. His mission was to save his people from ultimate death and afford them spiritual sustenance by his death on the cross. Whatever people may suffer from in this life is a transitory ailment, while the sick soul has eternal consequences.
Jesus’ mission on earth was to engage people in the truth and to teach them about what it means to be a member of God’s Kingdom. The Son of God could fix anything anytime, as the miracles he performed in particular situations testify. Jesus was sent to save humanity from real death, an eternal separation from God. Only by knowing what is good and true and living it can a person enter into a relationship with truth itself. Teaching about the Kingdom of God is the first responsibility of a good shepherd.
One of the factors contributing to the crisis in Christianity is that the shepherds have forgotten the need to teach the faith and truth of God before they extend their efforts to social justice. The paradigm has flipped-flopped, and they see the present needs of their flocks instead of their eternal souls. They have accepted the principles of liberation theology, focusing on the present plight of humanity as primary and only secondarily addressing the eternal.
These include meeting people where they are with a wink and nod without speaking publicly about certain immoral lifestyles. The convoluted notion of unimpeded immigration as a compassionate act without ever considering the ramifications of such policies adds to more suffering through drugs and sex trafficking of women and minors than it does with any economic opportunity.
The first reading for this Sunday from Jeremiah has an ominous warning to those who accepted the position of being a shepherd. “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the LORD.”
Pray our shepherds heed the warning and guide their people into the way of truth first, as Jesus showed them.