Proper 12 (OTA)

Ezekiel 34:1-10

The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ³ You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. ⁴ The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. ⁵ So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. ⁶ 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 none to search or seek for them.

⁷ “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸ As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, 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, ⁹ therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰ Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require 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, that they may not be food for them.

Shepherds should feed their sheep. The shepherds are out there feeding themselves. There are many Christians out there that are in need of real food. There are also Christians out there in need of soul food, spiritual food, or “bread of heaven” food. They are in need of forgiveness of their sins.

Here is the general problem. Most teachers like to talk about how to get more people. If they are not after getting more people to show up, they are generally after spending more money. If you want more people to show up, more money in the bank, or better facilities you are feeding yourself. Even when we have the best of intentions of what we could do with all that stuff, people, or money, we still are just trying to feed ourselves.

The other way we tend to feed ourselves is by personal study. There are some people out there that know a great deal. They have knowledge and they feed their own knowledge, but do not share it with others. They do not come to participate with the rest of the body of Christ.

The Good Shepherd comes to feed his people. He comes to feed you with his very Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Altar. He comes to feed you with forgiveness of sins, as he proclaims it in his word. He also comes to feed you with relationships, knowledge, and fellowship with the body of Christ. We have all been united in one true faith, which is founded on the Good Shepherd who feeds his sheep.