Sheep Without a Shepherd: Reflections on the readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

In some ways the readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) are a throwback to the fourth Sunday of Easter. The fourth Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday. The gospel readings are all from chapter 10 of John’s gospel. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Good Shepherd ought to be the model and ‘form’ of the bishop’s pastoral office.” (CCC 896)

This Sunday Jesus looks out at the crowd that had followed Him and the disciples, who were looking for a time to rest after reporting on their missionary trip and is moved with pity. “When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” (Mk 6:34) Next Sunday we will learn of the miracle Jesus performs for the people (and us) prefiguring the Eucharist, showing himself to be the Good Shepherd.

The first reading from Jeremiah, however, sets the stage for the coming of Jesus. Here Jeremiah, speaking for God, talks about the bad shepherds and how they misled the people and failed to care for them. He also mentions how the sheep have been scattered. He then notifies Israel that He will gather the scattered flock together and appoint shepherds who will carry out His intentions by properly shepherding them. And then He tells us how He will do this: “I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: ‘The LORD our justice.’” It doesn’t take a learned theologian to clearly see the reference to the coming of Jesus, the Messiah.

As one might expect, the responsorial is the 23rd Psalm, which begins with the words, “The Lord is my shepherd,” reflecting Jeremiah’s statement that God will shepherd his people. The meadows Jeremiah mentions are like the verdant pastures of the psalm. Jeremiah relates God’s promise of security, which the psalm reflects with the words, “I fear no evil; for you are at my side.” Similarly, “Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life” reflect Jeremiah’s promise of increase.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians has a more obscure connection, but if we look carefully we can see that Jesus’s role as the Good Shepherd reflects the peace and reconciliation with God for “through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”

The closing words of this week’s gospel selection bring it all together. “When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.”

Putting things somewhat into context, this passage follows last week’s description of calling and sending; the calling of Amos (and by extension the apostles and us) and the sending of the apostles to preach the good news to people. This excerpt begins with the apostles reporting to Jesus all they had done, teaching and healing. This is the beginning of Jesus (God) appointing other shepherds (as Jeremiah stated) and the first step in gathering and shepherding the flock. In the next phase Jesus sees those who are actively following him but are seeking something - they are scattered, they have been misled, and they are lost. As it says, they are sheep without a shepherd. Actually, their shepherds have failed them. In this context, one can understand how Jesus was exasperated with the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees who were more concerned with themselves than the people.

In contrast to the Jewish leaders, Jesus, in the gospel of John, identifies himself as the “Good Shepherd,” who lays down his life for the sheep. In today’s gospel, Jesus, although exhausted (along with the apostles) and seeking rest, upon seeing the people in need, proceeds to teach them and tend to their needs.

As baptized members of the Body of Christ, we are called to follow the example of Jesus. We put him first, then we look to the needs of others while we bring up the tail end. As Jesus and the exhausted apostles tend to the needs of the people, we are called to sacrifice some of our comforts and, especially, desires, to look to the needs of others. We may not be shepherds in the sense that ordained ministers (especially bishops) are, but that does not mean we can sit idly by while others are in need. Recall that in the Confiteor (the penitential rite of the mass) we confess “what we have done and what we have failed to do.” Mother Angelica, in several of her lessons, mentions the needs of others as opportunities for us to obtain grace. It is also an opportunity to show our love for Jesus as he told us, “Whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me.” (Matt. 25:40) We may not be able to perform the miracles Jesus performed, but we all have a part. What opportunities are waiting for you to act upon?