Reign of Christ A 1st Reading
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Shannon Greene
As far as biblical metaphors go, the imagery of sheep is one that is fairly common throughout scripture. Time and time again, God’s people are compared to sheep, and the Lord is named as the Shepherd over them. This pastoral symbolism is contained in some of our most well-known and beloved Bible verses:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters. (Psalm 23:1)
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. (Psalm 95:7)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way. (Isaiah 53:6a)
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
So it should come as no surprise when Ezekiel makes the familiar comparison between God’s people and the flock of a shepherd. In Ezekiel 34:11-24, we have one of the most extended and detailed descriptions of this sheep/Shepherd analogy.
The passage begins by describing God as a gracious and loving Shepherd in the same way that is used in other places in scripture, such as Psalm 23 in the Old Testament or in the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:3-7. In verses 11-16, the prophet paints a beautiful picture of the Lord acting as a Good Shepherd in taking care of his sheep:
He searches for the lost sheep, seeking them out (v.11).
He will rescue his sheep and bring them from the dark and cloudy places to which they have been scattered (v. 12).
He feeds them and brings them to good pasture and grazing land (v. 14).
He will give them rest and make them lie down (v. 15).
He will care for the sheep that have been injured and bind up their wounds (v. 16).
He will strengthen the weak and bring justice to the oppressed (v. 16).
All of these acts are things that the Israelites would have expected from the Lord. These actions would have been in character with the God they worshipped, and they would have been in line with the promise and covenant God had made with them many years ago in the desert wilderness. In fact, at times throughout their history, the Israelites would have even demanded this type of mercy and justice from the Lord.
But then, Ezekiel does something surprising. In the next section, he turns the tables onto the people of God. Now, God begins shining the light back toward the Israelites. The Shepherd starts calling out the sheep for their corrupt and oppressive actions:
“Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? When you drink of clear water, must you foul the rest with your feet?” (v. 18)
While our Lord is a God of mercy and love and compassion (as displayed in verses 11-16), here in the following verses (17-20), we are reminded that the Lord is also a God of justice. The Shepherd comes now demanding fair and equal treatment among his sheep. He accuses some of the sheep of becoming fat and proud, trampling down the good pasture and making it difficult for the other sheep to feed. Others have muddied up the clear, clean drinking water with their fouled feet, depriving the rest of the flock from the refreshing waters. Still others have pushed and shoved and rammed at the sheep weaker than themselves, causing them to scatter into the wilderness. These fat sheep have taken their fill of the good things the Shepherd had provided for all of the flock, and they have left others thirsty and hungry, hurt and wanting.
In God’s merciful provisions, there should have been enough goods to go around; the Shepherd had made sure that there was plenty of grazing land, good pasture, and fresh, clean water for all of his sheep. But instead, because of their overindulgence, some of the sheep had become engorged by their gluttony and greed, and others were left with nothing at all.
At the heart of this passage is a message that is clear throughout all of the prophets’ writings: the Israelites were guilty of causing great economic distress and harmful social injustices because of the wealth and extravagance of a few. The Israelites were blessed by God so that they may in turn be a blessing to others. But instead, they had become greedy and arrogant, oppressing the weak and abusing the poor.
So what is God’s solution to this problem? How will the Lord correct these injustices and right these wrongs?
First, the Lord warns the sheep that there will be a coming judgement day, a time when the Shepherd will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep (v. 20). Those who have taken advantage of the lowly and poor will face the consequences of their actions. We see this coming judgement day being played out in the gospel passage for today, Matthew 25:31-46, as the Son of Man separates the sheep from the goats. Those who have neglected to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, and welcome the stranger will be punished and sent away.
But there is hope as well. Because God also promises that there will be a future Shepherd that will come along: “I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd” (v. 23). One day, the Messiah will come and put everything to order. This Christ will come and restore the broken land, bind up the wounded sheep, and bring peace and healing to all. In Christ, there will be plenty to go around; everyone can eat until they are full and drink until they thirst no more. He will bring together the sheep that have been scattered: seeking them out, carrying them back into the fold. Like David, this Messiah will be both King and Shepherd.
There is a message for us in this passage as well. As the flock of the Good Shepherd, we must confess the ways in which we have taken advantage of others: those times when we became full and bloated, and left others starving and destitute. Those times that we have thought of ourselves first and have neglected the needs of those around around us. Those times when we have pushed and shoved to get our own way. Those times when have ignored the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned, and the naked.
Once we have confessed of these deeds, we must turn and repent of our unjust ways. Alongside Christ, we too can begin the work of bringing together the scattered flocks and feeding those who have been left hungry for so long. We must look out for our fellow sheep, caring for them in the same way that Jesus the Shepherd cares for us. We must go to those who are unwelcomed and in need, reaching out in the name of Christ.
Ultimately, we know that the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sake of his sheep. Indeed, the Good Shepherd becomes the slaughtered and risen Lamb. We too must lay our lives down for the sake of others, in the model set by Jesus Christ.
May we not become complacent in living in God’s good, green pastures. May we not allow ourselves to become rich and proud and well-fed at the expense of others. Instead, may we follow in the example of our Good Shepherd, laying our lives down for the broken, the poor, the hurt, and the oppressed. Then, we will be welcomed by our Shepherd and our King, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).