Jeremiah 23:1-6 focuses on “the shepherds.” Now Shepherd was also a term used to refer to a king. Shepherds are responsible for protecting and providing sustenance for their flocks, keeping peace within the flock, and searching and rescuing the sheep who are in danger. The shepherd, and by analogy, the king, is expected to act for the well-being of the sheep.
In this reading, these kings were not doing their Shepherd duty, and God’s anger was aroused. God did not condemn the king(shepherds), nor did God make any announcement of consequences. Instead, God vows to assume the role of shepherd personally and gather the remnant of God’s flock out of all the lands. Who would be the shepherds who would care for the people, it would be ordinary women and men. We are those ordinary women and men chosen to be good shepherds to set an example to the best of our ability. It is that example that people will be attracted to.
Our world today needs good shepherds to lead the sheep back to the flock, to God’s flock. Our world needs songs of hope and love, and the Song of Zechariah is one such song. Zechariah and Elizabeth are growing old, and their only regret is that they are childless. But an angel promises that they will have a son, and they will name him John. Zechariah’s non-belief in the angel causes him to become mute. Nevertheless, the baby is born, and on the eighth day, he is brought to the temple to be named. When asked for the baby’s name, Zechariah can only write on a tablet because of his muteness, the name is John. At this very moment, he regained his voice back. His heart was so filled with joy and the Holy Spirit that out of his mouth came the Song of Zechariah.
(Luke1:68-79) As we come to the end of our church year, Luke 23:33-43 describes the end of Jesus’ life, the end of the Good Shepherd. Jesus’ crucifixion did not occur on an altar between two candles but outside the city between two convicts. His clothes were divided, he was taunted and made fun of, and he was yelled at to save himself. You are the king of the Jews. Through all of this, Jesus is challenged to save himself, yet he hangs on a cross and says; Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
The season of Advent is not about waiting for the baby Jesus to be born on Christmas morning but the anticipation of the coming of Christ. Advent is about the second coming of Christ, not about the end of the world. It is about making choices. When we are in positions of power and influence, who do we remember? Do we stand with the guards who taunt and flaunt, or do we, like Christ, remember the lowest and least? Do we claim Christ as our shepherd, acknowledging that we are the sheep who benefit from the shepherd’s love and care? Do we recognize that we are called and empowered by God in Christ to be shepherds to one another and to the world? The season ahead is a time of renewed hope. God’s Blessings
Submitted by Mary Anne Grand, Layperson from Raymore United Church
