Beware of Greedy Shepherds and Aggressive Rams Preached on November 22nd, 2020 for Wollaston Congregational Church Scripture: Ezekiel 34:11-24 This last Sunday of the liturgical year is designated Reign of Christ, or Christ the King Sunday. This is a relatively recent innovation. The festival was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI in response to growing secularism and nationalism. The observance was moved to the last Sunday of Ordinary Time in 1970. [1] The observation of this day and time seems an appropriate pinnacle in the church year. Throughout the gospel, Jesus talks of the “Kingdom of God”, as being at hand: that it is within and among his followers. He teaches them to pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus’ descriptions of the kingdom and who is sovereign, pick up on imagery from the Hebrew scriptures, in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The imagery of God as shepherd and king, resonates through the psalms and prophets. This may seem like a strange comparison to us today. A shepherd does humble manual work, following the sheep and sleeping rough at night. The shepherd’s work is smelly and messy. They rescue the lost sheep from the thickets and precarious places, and they assist the ewes who have trouble birthing their lambs. A monarch generally lives in a palace, dresses in finery and is fed the most extravagant food. A monarch has power over their people. When this power often goes unquestioned and can result in cruelty and abuse. In the ancient Near East, though, the word ‘shepherd’ was often used as a name for the king. The monarch was expected to serve God, and rule the people with compassion and justice. This image has been extended to religious leaders and even today, our tradition calls a minister a “pastor”, that is a shepherd. And higher church and catholic traditions give their bishops a symbolic crooked staff, resembling a shepherd’s crook. I suspect that we modern Christians prefer to think of the image of Christ as loving shepherd rather than a powerful monarch. The most common understanding of the paradox of the shepherd king is that we are God’s beloved flock. We like to identify with the lost sheep, the ones in need of rescue, the injured ones whom God heals and binds up. It’s rare for us to think of ourselves as strong in this context. And yet, the scripture we read from the prophet Ezekiel today, has much to say about both the responsibility of those who lead and those who follow. It concerns both the shepherd and the sheep. Ezekiel writes at a time when the people of Judah have been taken away to exile in Babylon. The temple has been destroyed, Jerusalem their beloved city and the home of their God, lies in ruins. It’s quite possible that this is a consequence of their regression into a divided kingdom: Judah in the South, Israel to the North. When King David had been on the throne, the kingdoms were united. At the time of Ezekiel, those heydays are a dream of long ago. David is a legendary leader in the minds of the people. He was the harp-playing, overlooked shepherd boy. The youngest child of the family, he was sought out from the fields to become the ruler of the united kingdom of Israel. During his reign David established Jerusalem, and his son and successor Solomon built the immense temple. The people conveniently remember the romantic side of the story, but forget the shadow side. They remember David as a man after God’s own heart, a charismatic ruler. But, as so often happens, power went to David’s head. His rule was not always merciful, he and his family members’ behaviors were often abusive and despicable. David was once a shepherd, but he forgot his humble origins once he became king. His power and popularity went to his head. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Still, Ezekiel promises the people, one day there will be another David, who will be prince among them. This compliments the vision of the dispersed and scattered people returning to Jerusalem to live under the kind and compassionate rule of a new king. When Christians read this passage, they hear a clear reference to Jesus, our shepherd king, who is said to have been of David’s line. The passage from Ezekiel echoes the words of the beloved 23rd psalm, which is often recited during funerals. The shepherd king finds lush green pastures and clear flowing streams for the flock. He makes them lie down in a safe place. He seeks the lost and cares for the weak and the injured. This is beautiful bucolic imagery, comforting and calming. However, this is not Ezekiel’s only message. He talks of sheep among the flock who are overfed and pushy. These are the aggressive rams, who have pushed aside the weaker ones. They have placed the vulnerable ones in danger. This passage follows earlier verses in the chapter, in which Ezekiel chastises the shepherds of Israel who had not cared for the people. They had eaten fat for themselves and clothed themselves with wool, but they hadn’t fed the people. They had not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, or bound up the injured. They had not cared for the health and welfare of the flock. They had not done any of the things that the good shepherd ought to do. We might hear the imagery of this passage as guidance for the way that rulers and leaders ought to behave. And yet, most of us are not rulers and leaders. And so, in order to understand of the image of the shepherd king and what that means for us, we also need to understand the comparison of the people with sheep. Sheep flock together. This behavior is sometimes characterized as stupid, but it is necessary for their safety and survival. Sheep are not predators but prey, and so there is safety in numbers. Sheep follow one another. Where one goes, they all go. When people are compared with sheep, it is often in an unfavorable light. Following the crowd is considered foolish. But perhaps it is also a true comparison. However intelligent and individualistic we may feel, the fact is that we do follow one another. Do you remember going to a new place: a new job or school, meeting a new group, or joining a new church? What are the questions you asked before you went? Maybe: How does everyone dress? What do you do for lunch? Who is in charge? What to they like or dislike? The desire to fit in is not limited to groups. Large swaths of the population follow particular fashion and lifestyle choices. Certain cultural personalities are popular at a particular time. Fitting in with the group is very important for humans. We rely on one another for protection and survival. Being accepted by a group or a community generally is not a problem. Problems arise, though, when the group is being led in an unhealthy direction. At that point, it is important that we do not behave like sheep. Religious groups can easily be led in an unhealthy direction when power and control is given to one dominant individual. The same pattern can occur in families, political groups, or community organizations. This kind of dominance and control can be quite literally toxic. Recently we have heard news of pastors who have required their churches to gather in person, singing hymns and praying in close proximity, as though God will magically protect them from COVID-19. And we are aware of political leaders who eschew wearing face masks and remaining physically distanced, making this a mark of belonging to their group. Those who have blindly followed their leaders have been put at great risk and they’ve also contributed to the recent devastating spread of infection throughout the nation. It is important for us to stay alert and awake to what is going on in our groups including our faith communities, our workplaces, other organizations and our nation. I confess that my own inclination has been to lie down and fall asleep to the gentle passages of Psalm 23 or the reading we heard today. Some years ago, when I was in a religious setting that was being led in an unhealthy direction. There were situations where I should have done my own work, figuring things out for myself. But instead I was inclined to go along with the group, even asking for guidance from them at every turn. I ignored my inner wisdom that was prodding me to warn me that things were not right. It took me quite a while to wake up to what was going on. This can happen to any one of us, in our family and in social settings. It’s easy to give in to the power and control of toxic leadership. It is much more difficult to resist. Ezekiel’s passage give comfort to the weak and the vulnerable, it reminds them that God will bind their wounds and seek out good pastures for them. But this is not an invitation to count ourselves unnecessarily among the weak. We have been given the resources we need to discern a good shepherd from greedy dominant one, who is only on the lookout for their own welfare. We have been gifted with enough initiative to avoid following the crowd in an unhealthy direction. Today we are celebrating the Reign of Christ, our ultimate shepherd king. Christ will lead us only to good pastures. Christ will lead us in the way of health and wholeness: physical, mental and spiritual. If anyone ever tries to lead in any other direction, that is not the Christ. Beware of greedy shepherds and aggressive rams. May all God’s people say, Amen [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Christ_the_King
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