16th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 18th July 2021 — Gospel: Mark 6,30-34
Being Pastor of the Kingdom
Compassion is one of Jesus’ more common emotions (Mk 6,34; 8,2; 9,22). The image of “sheep without a shepherd” is an expression of vulnerability. In the Hebrew Bible, all references of this imagery support this idea (Num 27,17-18; Eze 34,2-5; Zech 11,4-17). The people of God have become precisely what Moses and Ezekiel warned against, sheep without a shepherd, i.e., weakened, scattered and vulnerable. Like many usages of shepherd language in the Hebrew Bible, Markan usage of Jesus as shepherd serves as a critique of Israel’s false leaders. Following the narrative of John’s beheading, this passage serves as an indictment of Herod. Jesus’ reaction must be a critique of Herod in the previous scene. Herod held feasts “for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee (5,21),” but Jesus fed common people. While Herod kills the herald of God’s coming kingdom, the people are longing for, even chasing after, the true shepherd who will bring them into that kingdom.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus moved in compassion for the lost sheep and began to teach them many things (6,34). The food for which the people hunger is the very word of God. In feeding them Jesus shows himself to be a shepherd feeding God’s people “with knowledge and understanding” (Jer 3,15). He shows himself to be the divine shepherd, the Son of God in whom the kingdom has come. As a Good Shepherd and leader, He is attentive to the daily practices and struggles of his disciples. And so, He expresses his concern through the invitation: “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” Although Jesus wants a little time of refreshment and renewal for Himself and for His twelve apostles; yet, when He sees the needs of the flock who came in search of Him, He reaches out with compassion and tends to them. His miraculous feedings, healings and casting out demons are signs that Jesus is shepherding the people into God’s kingdom. He is a shepherd, who cares for his disciples and as well as for those people who were flocking to Him.
The disciples who care for God’s flock are called shepherds. Their ministry is called pastoral (“shepherding”) ministry. The word ‘pastoral’ comes from the Latin word ‘pastor’ meaning “shepherd”. The most important role of those who follow the Good shepherd is to be pastoral. The word “pastoral” is quite common in the faith community – pastoral council, pastor, pastoral assistant, pastoral care, pastoral plan, and pastoral visit. This term is misconceived as merely ‘official’ and ‘authoritative’. But being pastoral is doing what is best for the flock: leading, protecting, feeding, comforting and uniting the sheep. At times, the shepherd must take decisive and assertive control in order to safeguard the flock. Therefore, the key quality of the pastor must be compassion with quality of the willingness to “suffer with” the other. In this way, the goal of all pastoral care is to allow the sheep to experience the love of God.
