The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time
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Jeremiah 23:1-6
Chps 21-22 talk about different kings of Israel. The beginning of chp 23 talks about a future king. The chapter begins with these verses, a compare/contrast of a good king/shepherd with a bad one. We all know what bad leadership looks like, no doubt we’ve all experienced it at some point. These verse tell us that bad leaders destroy unity, scatter the people, in fact drive them away, and all because they don’t really care about the people. Good leaders are just the opposite: they unite and bring people together because they care about them.
These verses use the metaphor of a shepherd because, in ancient cultures, shepherds were common and everyone understood their role. The metaphor was often applied to political and social leaders. See Ezekiel 34 for a very similar portrayal.
This passage illustrates a common Biblical theme: condemnation of some sort of behavior followed by the promise of salvation. God condemns those shepherds who do not shepherd well, but God also promises to raise up shepherds who do lead well. And this passage alludes to the Messiah – the Good Shepherd who will save his people.
The book of Jeremiah laments the Babylonian exile but it also has hints of hope. V3 envisions the return back to the Jewish homeland.
V6 says that the name given to the new ruler will be “The LORD our justice.” In Hebrew, this is a play on the name Zedekiah. Had Jeremiah continued his chronological list of kings from chapters 21-22, Zedekiah would have been next on the list. “Zedek” means true – instead of Zedekiah, God will raise up a “zedek”, a true, branch. Justice here takes on the full meaning of God’s saving presence and action in the world.
We all have roles of leadership in our lives. They might not be formal roles like a priest or pastor; for most of us, these roles are limited and may seem insignificant: parents “lead” their children, grandparents lead their grandchildren, teachers lead students, and even friends sometimes “lead” one another. What roles of leadership have you been called into and how do you exercise good leadership?
Ephesians 2:13-18
V11 sets the stage for this passage by addressing the Gentiles who have been made one with Christ. And this unity is extended to unity with the Jews. Vv14-18 may have been a fragment of an early Christian hymn.
In v15 the author speaks of abolishing the law. This is a very strong statement for Jews and seems to depart from Jesus’ insistence that Jesus came not to abolish the law but fulfill it (Matthew 5:17 and Paul in Romans 3:31). There is contention over the meaning of this phrase.
By the time this letter was written, the question of inclusion of the Gentiles had been settled for decades. It’s less helpful to read the letter as addressed primarily to Jews arguing for Gentile inclusion; it’s more helpful to read it as addressed primarily to Gentiles reminding them of their Jewish heritage. It can be easy to forget our roots, especially when we feel they are humbling. Perhaps in 21st century Christianity we’ve settled the Jewish/Gentile question. If Paul and others were to write to the modern church, what groups might they target for unity?
“He is our peace.” This promise has come to hold deep meaning for me. Jesus himself is our peace. So often we look for peace as being freed from the storms of life. We forget to withdraw to be with Jesus and there find peace.
Mark 6:30-34
Last week we read about the sending out of the disciples. Sandwiched in between that and today’s reading is the account of the beheading of John the Baptist (which we do not read from Mark’s gospel). Mark doesn’t explicitly recount the disciples’ return but it’s obvious from the opening verse that they have returned and are making a report of their ministry. Given what follows, the missionary outreach seems to have been wildly successful. Back in chapter 3, Mark tells us that Jesus was so busy he didn’t even have time to eat. Now we see that his disciples are becoming more and more like him in many ways: they, too, have no time to eat or rest.
Today’s passage gives us a rhythm to live by: work followed by rest. It’s an ancient rhythm that speaks to the soul, and it’s one that scripture insists on from the very beginning. And yet, today’s reading also shows us that living it out is not easy. I think there is always a precarious balance between the need for work and rest. It can be all too easy for us to have a “savior complex” and convince ourselves that something (whether it be ministry, a job, a home) cannot run without us. Some might even look to this passage for justification. Letting ministry of any form interrupt a scheduled rest is a decision that must be made with careful discernment. A spiritual guide is almost a must in this – to help give perspective that is not easy to gain in the trenches.
Or we might take a different perspective with this passage. It’s easy to read this passage and think that, in the end, no one actually got a retreat. You might miss it there in v32: they went off in the boat by themselves. The boat ride was the retreat. It might not have been a weeklong or even a weekend retreat. But it was a retreat because they were with Jesus, temporarily away from the demands of ordinary life. Notice there’s not a whole lot of preparation for it: they just get in the boat and go. Stepping back into life after a retreat is always tricky. Especially if it’s been a powerful time of encountering God. But Jesus shows us how to do it: disembark (come home), take a look around you, and let your heart be moved by what you see. Then bring the fruits of the retreat to others. 1
Very often we read v34 as applying only to the pastoral ministers of the church: priests and lay leaders. And it does. But it applies also to each and every one of us. We are all charged in some way with ministering to others. For some, it might take the form of raising a child or perhaps caring for a loved one during an illness. Others are drawn to social justice ministries and seek to feed the hungry and house the homeless. Some are drawn to a ministry of friendship, being available to those around them for support and guidance or just a listening ear. Think about your own life and what aspects of ministry are already present there. How can you strengthen that ministry by withdrawing periodically to be with Jesus? How can you then come back to it with new eyes and a compassionate heart?
V34 uses a delightful Greek word to describe what Jesus feels as he looks out of the people: “splagchnizomai.” Most translations render this word as “compassion” although some, like the NAB, render it “pity.” The word means to be moved in the inward parts, to feel compassion; and it comes from the Greek word splanxna, ‘the inward parts,’ especially the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. In the ancient world, all these organs were the seat of the affections. This implies more than pity or even compassion. It means being moved in the very depths of your being, almost unspeakably so. Jesus looked at the people and he let the sight of them seep into the depths of who he was. And he then let that move him into action.
Where is your “deserted place” and how do you discern Jesus’ call to go there with him?
Connections
Jeremiah speaks of shepherds who destroy unity and a Messiah who will bring it. Ephesians invites us into that unity. The Gospel gives us a picture of Jesus creating unity, first among his disciples and then among the people.
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© 2024 Kelly Sollinger
- I owe this insight to a homily preached by Fr. Charlie Donahue at the Newman Center in 2018. Some might have laughed at me back then when I pulled out my notepad during the homily but I tell you – it pays to take notes so you can remember little gems like this! ↩︎