In our gospel reading for today, Jesus and his disciples are ready for a vacation after some long days of intense ministry. It had been a wonderful time of harvest for the kingdom of God, but you can only skip so many meals and go so many late nights until it's time to get some rest. Jesus suggested taking the boat over to a secluded spot for a much-needed break. But the crowds beat them to the place they were going, making their way around the lake on foot – that's how desperate they were to be with Jesus – that's how desperate they were for healing – that's how desperate they were for direction. And Jesus, as always, responds with compassion.....
“Like sheep without a shepherd.” What does that description look like to YOU....? For me, the first word that comes to mind is HELPLESS. Sheep without a shepherd have no protection from the dangers around them, and so their best chance for survival is to move to the middle of the herd, hoping to be the last one eaten. And for me, sheep without a shepherd are HOPELESS. They are unable to figure out where to find better pasture, and so they are stuck overgrazing the same plot of land until they go hungry, or they are doomed to wander aimlessly. Sheep...without the direction and protection of a shepherd, are helpless and hopeless.
When Jesus went ashore for his time of rest, a great crowd of helpless and hopeless people were waiting there for him. They did not have the knowledge of diseases that we do, so any chance to be healed was worth any price. Friends dragged friends on mats out into the public square, just for the CHANCE of Jesus coming by. And you can imagine how DESPERATE the begging would be, for Jesus to heal them – who would listen to the disciple who told them “I'm sorry, Jesus is done for today – come back next time he's in the area?” Helpless people...can be quite demanding.
And spiritually, the people were in even worse shape! The Israelites thought their God had abandoned them to the brutal Roman Empire. They suffered the indignity of being a conquered people. They were exploited by their religious leaders, who made them feel like scum, and that this oppression by the Romans was all their fault for not being pious enough. And they were completely powerless to change their situation, and the only faint glimmer of hope they had, was the long-awaited Messiah, the coming of God's chosen one to restore Israel. So when Jesus arrived, and started performing the kind of signs the Israelites expected of the Messiah, the people were desperate to FOLLOW him. Jesus was the man with the PLAN. He was the only one who could direct the people to victory, and show them how to take pride in themselves again. Hopeless people...can be quite militant. And so Jesus' vacation was cancelled, by the desperate, demanding mobs who needed a shepherd.
I was in a restaurant a while back, and I saw a poster advertising the services of a woman who claimed she can help OUR desperate, demanding mobs today. “Are you tired of being ANGRY all the time?” read the ad. “She can help you reduce your NEGATIVE ENERGIES. Do you have an interest in astrology or tarot cards? She can help you discover your path into the future.” How helpless and hopeless do you have to be to give this woman your hard-earned money? And yet, women and men like this advertiser, is the first place MANY people go...for shepherding.
Our society is desperate for healing – in our physical bodies, in our relationships, in our environment – but we're not sure where to find it. Our society is desperate for hope – in our finances, in our families, in our community – but we're not sure where to find that either. So we wander aimlessly as a herd, anxiously wondering which one of us will be eaten last. Sheep without a shepherd.