Who is the pasture for? - Aug 19
“Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?”
This question, without context, comes across as a kind of Zen Koan. It has a seemingly obvious answer, “Yes” but we are still left a little puzzled.
The verse prior gives the necessary context, spoken by God “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves!”
Political leaders are the villains throughout much of the Bible. What may have started with good intentions are more often than not distracted by the promises of power and prestige. And these shepherd/leaders in Ezekiel have been busy enjoying themselves some fresh green pastures, while ignoring the sheep under their charge.
With so many of these text declaring the shortcomings of the leaders our tendency is to pile on. We identify with the neglected sheep in this metaphor, and we are ready to fight, or at least share righteous social media posts about those greedy, self-indulgent shepherds.
I’m always suspicious of Bible interpretations where I turn out to be the good guy – or at least I’m not the bad guy like those shepherds. While I think it can be important to name and expose the injustice and greed of those in power, these scripture texts have more to say to us, or at least to me, if I recognize my own self in the not-so-innocent characters. How am I pasturing myself and not the sheep? What negative parts of myself do I nurture, while starving some of my more life-giving qualities? Should we not pasture those parts of life that increase love and starve hate?