"Baaaah"

Ezekiel 34:1-11

I’ve admitted on many other occasions that I don’t have a lot of experience with farm animals. I’m pretty good at identifying them when they’re out in the pasture: cows, horses, sheep, there are even llamas in a field near my house. And, yes, you serious skeptics, I know the difference between the front end and the back end of each of these animals. And, with my granddaughter Ellieana, I’m even pretty good at knowing what sound they make, though I’m not sure about llamas. Anyone know what sound a llama makes?

My ignorance and lack of experience comes into play again, today, because we are reading a text from Ezekiel that is all about sheep. Just so I know who my potential critics will be in advance, before I step into my personal quicksand of ignorance, who here has ever taken care of sheep? Who knows a thing or two about sheep? What are the most important things about caring for sheep? Feeding them? Giving them a good pasture? Protecting them from wolves or coyotes? Remembering to shave their wool at the right time of year? Be nice to them?

If you read this carefully, you’ll see that Ezekiel doesn’t actually have a lot to say about sheep, but he has a lot to say about shepherds, especially the shepherds that haven’t been nice to the sheep. These words from Ezekiel are very different from some other words about shepherds you’ve heard from the Bible. Remember how Jesus describes himself as the “Good Shepherd” in John’s Gospel? The Good Shepherd takes good care of the sheep. The Good Shepherd feeds and protects the sheep.

So here’s what Ezekiel has to say about shepherds: First, while it is Ezekiel’s voice, the words are from God. So expect serious stuff here. Second, the words are a strong indictment against shepherds – they have been feeding themselves instead of the sheep in their care. And because they have not been given good care, the sheep are scattered in all directions, which only increases the danger they face from wild animals. Now when you read the text a second time you notice that God’s word is not directed against all shepherds, or shepherds in general, but specifically against the shepherds of Israel. Why single them out? What made them particularly bad at taking care of sheep? Well, the first thing to be said is that Ezekiel is not really talking about shepherds at all. He’s talking about some other people. Who would those other people be?

Well, a little bit of the history of Israel is required to understand this. It’s most likely that Ezekiel is talking about the rulers of Israel, not shepherds; but political and religious leaders who had failed in their responsibilities to the people. Leaders who enriched themselves while people went hungry. So Ezekiel spoke God’s word to the leaders, the shepherds of Israel. And not just Ezekiel, but all of the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Hosea, Micah and all the rest offered a constant stream of frustrated prophecy – Israel was supposed to be a shining light of justice and peace, truth and love as an example to all the other nations, but again and again Israel fell short, not just slightly short, but terribly short.

Quite a few years ago, our youth made up a set of rules for the church. I had it taped to the wall in the office for a long time, not sure of what became of it. But I remember rule number 1: “Be nice”. Ezekiel is talking about shepherds who are not nice, as measured in a variety of ways. The summary of all this is found in verse four: “You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them”. So what will God do about this? A prophet like Ezekiel uses his own voice, but the words come from God. Here is what God says through Ezekiel: “I will rescue my sheep … I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.”

Now this gives us our most important understanding about the Lord’s Supper, that we will celebrate in just a few minutes. We don’t have to earn our way into God’s favor, we don’t have to meet a high standard to be invited, we don’ have to be the spiritual elite. Because it is God who is already looking for us, doing everything possible to rescue us. Our invitation to the table is not based on what we have accomplished, it is not based upon what we have, it is not a matter of our status in church or society. The invitation is based on our need, based on God’s intense desire to rescue us, to find us, to protect us and to feed us!