The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. 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, they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, says the Lord God, because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild animals, since there was no shepherd; and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep; therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, I am against the shepherds; and I will demand my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, so that they may not be food for them.
Reflection
Ezekiel ministered in disastrous, traumatic, times from 593 BCE onwards. The Babylonians were coming for the southern Kingdom of Judah and the remains of the northern kingdom of Israel which had previously been invaded and destroyed by the Assyrians. The defeat of the Jewish people and the deportation of much of the population to Babylon was both a physical and psychological defeat; Ezekiel’s task was to offer some theology to help explain and understand. Today’s passage offers part of that explanation – the shepherds (the kings) were corrupt. Kings were seen as shepherds who guided, nurtured, and protected their people; not for nothing was God portrayed (in Psalm 23) as the good shepherd who would guide by still waters and through death’s dark vale.
In our own age it is hard to read this passage without thinking of both a different type of trauma and shepherd. In the Western world the credibility, prestige, and influence of the Church has come tumbling down in our lifetimes due to the perverse actions of so many bad shepherds. Clergy, like the kings of old, are seen as shepherds – called to lead, guide, protect, and nurture their congregations. Tales of abusive priests and minsters, and nuns and monks have collided with news of bishops implicated in both abuse and coverup. These narratives have come tumbling out over the last 30 years accelerating the cleansing processes of secularization. Whilst 28% of the UK population are estimated to believe in God, only 4.3% (2.3 million) are projected to attend church regularly by the end of 2025.
The trauma experienced by the remnant that is left is profound; we have seen the bad shepherds betray their vows, their people, and God. Through trauma and dislocation, we have been led to new understandings and safeguarding processes. Shepherds are now more effectively supervised so that God’s people can be safe and so we can learn to be a safer place where all may flourish.
Prayer
Guide us, Good Shepherd, that as sheep we may be safe, and as under shepherds we may guide, guard, nurture, and protect those you give into our charge, Amen
Today’s writer
The Revd Andy Braunston is the URC’s Minister for Digital Worship and a member of the Peedie Kirk in Orkney.
St. Andrew's United Reformed Church - The United Reformed Church in Monkseaton and Whitley Bay
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