By the Rev. Dr. Linda Bell
Revised Common Lectionary Reflection, Proper 11, Year B
July 21, 2024
Key verse: Jesus had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. -Mark 6:34
The appointed readings for this Sunday, and especially Psalm 23, point to the shepherding nature of our God. A preacher could lift up what is happening in our modern times, how are we like the sheep looking for a shepherd, and how our God shepherds to us, individually and collectively. As we steward our lives so we can become the people God wants us to be, we need the guidance and protection of our Good Shepherd.
As is the case throughout his Gospel, Mark focuses on action and immediacy. In this week’s reading, Jesus’ actions show how he shepherds God’s people, beginning with his expressing compassion for the lost sheep.
The Gospel reading offers examples of what shepherding ministry looks like. Those in need know Jesus and the disciples. They recognizethe power of Jesus and the disciples and what they can do. By their very presence, the sheep show there is an expectation of what can and will be done.
Though Jesus and the disciples have set off for some rest and relaxation (6:31, 32), there is no rest for the weary. A great crowd from all the towns gathers to greet them at the shore. The same thing occurs later (verses 55, 56), when Jesus and the disciples cross over into the Gennesaret region. This crowd rushes to see him, seeking healing not only for themselves but also for the sick people whom they bring.
Wherever Jesus goes, the sheep flock to him. In verse 56, they beg – indicating their desperation – for Jesus’ healing touch.
Our readings indicate the human need for food and healing, the need for a shepherd who would seek them out and providefor their immediate needs. As tireless shepherds, Jesus and the disciples minister despite their own hunger and need for rest.
The shepherd theme is expressed beautifully in Psalm 23, one of the most beautiful and beloved passages of Scripture. Psalm 23 is called the Shepherds Psalm, because it portrays God as the good Shepherd, who cares for and looks after this flock.
The Psalm is attributed to King David, who as a boy had been a shepherd for his family’s flocks. How often David must have gazed up at the heavens on those star-filled nights while he was out watching over his father’s sheep and pondered the very nature of God! There in the depths of his heart he must have pondered how much God was just like a shepherd. His years of shepherding had taught him a few things, and as he contemplated the shepherd’s work, he found a fitting description of what God does for his people.
We love this Psalm because it speaks so tenderly about life. Of all the psalms in the Bible, this 23rd Psalm is the best-known, and best-loved, of all of them — not to mention it is the most-memorized. It is read at funerals to comfort the sorrowing, and at hospital beds to encourage the suffering, and to those who have run aground on the discouragements of life. We read it because it is a song of confidence — a song of confidence in God. Psalm 23 is a declaration that God is the Good Shepherd and is personal with the word ‘my’.
So how might a preacher weave a sermon around the shepherding theme? About Jesus’ shepherding care for God’s people?
Certainly, our individual lives are experienced in different ways, and we earnestly seek our needs to be met. At the same time, we come as individuals and as a faith community week after week seeking “a word from the Lord” with an expectation that those needs will be met.
As a congregation can we identify the areas that need healing?
Are we willing to go the extra mile, oftentimes not knowing where it will lead, to help those in our congregation or community?
When we contemplate the roads Jesus and the disciples travelled are we willing to go to unknown places or to take on the challenges that we know need to be done with commitment and determination?
When people see us as a church, can they recognize or identify something special or unique that leads to a transformation in the lives of others and/or the community. Once identified, are we willing to travel, or do what is needed to help those in need?
In our troubled times, we certainly need our divine Shepherd’s care.
With Youth
Focus on verses 54 and 55: “When they got out of the boat, people at once recognizedhim, and rushedabout the whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.”
Invite the youth to imagine they are in the story. Discussion could involve these questions:
- Why were people rushing to Jesus?
- If you were sick and there was no cure available, how would you feel if Jesus came to town?
- What would you do if a close friend or family member was sick. Would you want to bring them to Jesus? Why?
- How would you bring that person to Jesus, remembering that in those days there were no cars, and probably only wealthy people had draft animals to spare.
- What does it say about the love of the people that they carried their sick friends and family on mats to see Jesus.
Worship with children
Focusing again on verses 54 and 55, a good children’s sermon could ask them to think of a time when they helped someone who was in trouble, or when they themselves were helped in a time of trouble.
The leader could ask why they helped. How did they feel when they helped? Or, if they were the one being helped, how did they feel? Did they thank the person?
Alternatively, or as a complement, bring in a picture of someone famous as a child who accomplished great or unexpected things or someone they would know.
Previous reflections for Proper 11B:
2018 – Becoming an inside-out community
2015 – Peace and more peace
2012 – Take good care of YOU
Leave a Reply