Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 - 2nd Week of Advent - Tues
[Isa 40:1-11 and Matt 18:12-14,268]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] If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
The season of Advent features passages from the Old Testament, especially from the prophets, that highlight aspects of the expectations concerning the Messiah. The early Christian community, reading the Old Testament in the light of what they knew of Jesus, found those images to be descriptive of Jesus. This interpretation continues in our own time. The example today is that of the "Good Shepherd!" In the Old Testament, the "shepherd-king" is a prominent image, especially in Ezekiel 34. The 23rd Psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd!" is a perennial favorite! Isaiah, in today's first scripture, offers a tender image. The Gospel of John [chapter 10] shows how this shepherd image was adopted and developed (as does today's passage from Matthew). In the Gospel of Luke, the first announcement of the birth of Christ is made to shepherds!
These images are probably more helpful to an audience living in a more rural setting where herds of animals are the foundation of life. That is the kind of audience that Jesus preached to. Vineyards, wheat fields, flocks of sheep - these things are common images in Jesus' preaching. Those of us who never set foot outside a city have to work a bit at finding images that convey the same caring message. Love, care, kindness, diligence, security, protection from harm - these are values that anyone living in the inner city can often only long for amidst the violence of drugs and gang warfare. The challenge in this season comes to those with enough power and resources to be imitators of the Good Shepherd. It is a huge and global challenge. Yet the season of Advent comes year after year to remind us never to give up. Otherwise the Good Shepherd will remain a pious picture in a forgotten Bible. AMEN