Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 7, 2010 - St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
[Isaiah 40:1-10 and Matthew 18:12-14]Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom and leading the ewes with care....[Isaiah]
Shepherds and their sheep figure prominently in the "infancy narrative" of the Gospel of Luke and in the parables of Jesus. In the Old Testament, the imagery of Psalm 23 and Ezekiel's thundering denouncement of greedy religious leaders (ch 34 - "shepherds who pasture themselves!") are two examples of the image that come to mind. From the Gospel of John, the parable of the "Good Shepherd" (ch. 10) figures in a lot of stained glass windows! During this season, the soaring beauty of the aria, "He shall feed his flock..." from Handel's THE MESSIAH adds its majesty to all the stimulation surrounding us! The paradox in all of this is that in Jesus' own time, shepherds were considered to be very low on the social totem pole! The gospels seem to give them greater prestige!
The Gospel of Luke makes the shepherds the first to hear the "news of great joy" of Jesus' birth. This may well be an echo of the lines from Mary's "Magnificat" in which she praises God for "lifting up the lowly." Today's gospel scripture from Matthew points out the care of the shepherd for even the least of the flock as being an image of God's care for all of us.
All of this could lead us to give a bit more attention to the shepherd and sheep figures that we see at the many "crib scenes" in our homes and communities. They are not just spectators or "extras." They represent us and God's care for us in keeping the promise from of old. AMEN
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