“I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” (Ezekiel 34:15-16)
The words from the prophet Ezekiel pronounce God’s condemnation on the shepherds of Judah, the kings and religious authorities who had failed to fulfill their God anointed responsibility. They had been placed in their office by God to care for His people as a shepherd cares for a flock of sheep that belongs to someone else. In this oracle, God preceded His words of condemnation with a graphic portrayal of Himself as Chief Shepherd, a prophecy of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Jesus would do what the false leaders failed to do: protect God’s people from external dangers of idolatry and compromise as well as from internal dissent and disunity. He would provide them with truth, mercy, love, and healing. He would ensure justice for the poor, oppressed, and downtrodden and forgiveness for sinners. The Kings of Judah, the religious leaders did none of these things. Instead they used and abused the people and increased their own prosperity and glory at their expense and led them into idolatry and wickedness.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were the ones responsible for the spiritual care of God’s people and they did the same as the Kings of Judah. They abused the poor, needy and contrite and drove them away from God. Consequently Jesus only had words of condemnation for those Pharisees.
Today we might assume that the false shepherds are politicians. To a certain extent that is true. They are elected by citizens but have a calling from God to ensure justice and freedom for the oppressed and weak, not advantage for the rich and famous. This calling most politicians neglect in favor of using their rank for fame, fortune and self-glorification.
More importantly, however, Ezekiel’s message applies to Christian pastors who are called to be shepherds of the flock of God. Pastors are supposed to feed the pure word of God to believers, lead and guide them in Christian obedience. Instead some have muddied the water and pushed aside the weak as Ezekiel puts it. They have driven the sheep of the Lord away by rejecting the truth of God’s word in favor of preaching what is trendy, non-offensive and politically correct. Some have adopted the standards of the business and entertainment world to make a name and a profit to the detriment of the poor, needy and contrite. What the Good Shepherd calls Pastors, indeed all church leaders, to do to model themselves on Jesus the Chief Shepherd and lay down their lives for those in their care.