BIBLE STUDY #99


SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

July 22, 2012



READING 1

JEREMIAH 23:1-6



Woe to the shepherds

who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,

says the LORD.

Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,

against the shepherds who shepherd my people:

You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.

You have not cared for them,

but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.

I myself will gather the remnant of my flock

from all the lands to which I have driven them

and bring them back to their meadow;

there they shall increase and multiply.

I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them

so that they need no longer fear and tremble;

and none shall be missing, says the LORD.



Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,

when 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."



The Word of the Lord



READING 2

EPHESIANS 2:13-18



Brothers and sisters:

In Christ Jesus you who once were far off

have become near by the blood of Christ.



For he is our peace, he who made both one

and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,

abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,

that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,

thus establishing peace,

and might reconcile both with God,

in one body, through the cross,

putting that enmity to death by it.

He came and preached peace to you who were far off

and peace to those who were near,

for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.



GOSPEL

MARKK 6:30-34



The apostles gathered together with Jesus

and reported all they had done and taught.

He said to them,

"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."

People were coming and going in great numbers,

and they had no opportunity even to eat.

So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.

People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.

They hastened there on foot from all the towns

and arrived at the place before them.



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.



The Gospel of the Lord



Reflection



In last week’s Gospel, we see that Jesus sent the Apostles on a mission (the word apostle means ‘one sent’). The apostles have returned from their mission, have gathered around Jesus and reported all that they had done and taught. Jesus never comments on their mission, so they must have carried out Jesus’ mission of proclaiming the need for conversion and performing exorcisms and healings (see 6:12-13). For Mark, the essence of discipleship is being with Jesus and doing the things of Jesus; that is, teaching and works of power.



Some translations use ‘desolate place’ instead of ‘deserted place’ since the latter suggests that no one is there, which is not true in this case. The phrase ‘desolate place’ (or desert wilderness) reminds us of John’s original call to repentance (1:3-5), of Jesus temptation (1:12-13), and of the place where Jesus returns to pray (1:35, 45).



Jesus wants his followers to rest awhile. The word rest alludes to 1) Psalm 23, where the shepherd cares for the psalmist by restful waters; 2) the land promised to the people after the wandered the wilderness (Ex 33:1-14, Deut12:9-10, Jer 31:2); 3) Matt 11:28-29, where Jesus promises rest to the weary, and 4) Hebrews 4:9-11, the eschatological rest from toils as promised to God’s people. We would call it something like ‘recharging our batteries.’



The large numbers of people that prevent them from eating emphasizes the charisma of Jesus and the theme in the early part of this Gospel that the crowds hem Jesus in. It is also a new Exodus – just as Israel fled Egypt for a land filled with milk and honey, so the people are fleeing to Jesus, who feeds them with finest wheat.



The people recognize Jesus and follow him. While he will have no privacy now, there will come a time when all but a few will desert him. But right now they recognize Jesus as a great prophet, healer, and miracle worker, and the numbers who follow him seem to indicate their neediness.



Jesus has compassion on the people. The word translated as compassion means merciful love, which a quality of God in the Old Testament (Isaiah 54, Psalms 86, 111, 112, 145). Compassion moves us from sympathy to action. When we feel compassion, we feel others pain, but also a desire to help.



In the Old Testament, God is the shepherd of Israel that needs protection and guidance. Jesus comes as a shepherd, the Son of God who satisfies their physical needs with mighty works and also fills their spiritual needs.



Jesus teaches them many things. As stated earlier, Jesus’ mission is to proclaim the need for conversion and to perform exorcisms and healings. Jesus becomes the faithful shepherd of the new Israel.



In the first reading, Jeremiah gives a dire warning to all who are in leadership positions. God says, “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture… You have scattered my sheep… but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.” God promises to send a leader, a new David, who will shepherd the people. Spiritual leaders have a great responsibility and need to take that seriously. Leaders need to lead people to God, not to themselves. As the saying goes, “You can be replaced.”



In the second reading, Paul talks about Jesus ability to unite all people. Jesus church into include anyone who desires to join: “In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.” Jesus came not only for the Jews, but for Gentiles: “He came and preached peace to you who were far off

and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”



Fr. Phil