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The Compassionate Shepherd

Rev. Jeremy J. Schultz
July 19, 2009

The relevant text of the OT lesson at first describes dark days for God's people. The Lord had given them kings who were suppose to take care of them as a Shepherd takes care of the sheep. Specifically, to quote Jeremiah 22, they were to, "Do what is just and right, rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed, and do no wrong or violence" (vs. 3). But three kings in succession – Shallum, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin – had all failed to take care of the sheep. They had scattered and destroyed God's people. They had not bestowed the care that one should expect from a shepherd. There is an old saying that if you don't have people in your heart, then they're going to get on your nerves. These three kings do not have the people of God in their heart and so they are getting on God's nerves. And He holds them responsible. To the kings of Judah the Lord God says: "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture."

The Gospel lesson likewise says something about the Shepherds of God's people in the NT – at least by way of presumption. In the days of Jesus, every village and town had a synagogue with a synagogue leader. In every place there were scrolls and the Torah was read. But here you have hungry, exhausted people – like sheep without a Shepherd – that are circling around a lake and walking miles upon miles out into the desert to hear God's Word. They shouldn't have had to do this! There were times when Jesus would directly indict the religious leaders that were supposed to be shepherds of the people, but weren't, and pronounce "Woe to you!"

We too know what it is like to experience the failure of our leaders. We have endured elected officials who have lied under oath and who have failed to model morality and integrity. Surely this has at times damaged the public view of right and wrong. Such leaders have seemed intent on destroying and scattering the flock that is under their care. They have failed to hold in their hearts the welfare of the public and so they have certainly gotten on our nerves.

What's even worse is when we experience the failure of leaders in the church. Certainly this includes moral lapses, but it would also include the teaching of all false doctrine or the failure to clearly declare God's law and Gospel to every situation. Too many times such things happen and the congregation has been destroyed or left scattered. I've known people that have stopped coming to church altogether and have unfortunately entered into a self-imposed exile because of troubles with their pastors.

Whenever we find ourselves scattered, destroyed or just plain hurting because of the failure of leadership then we must look to Jesus who is a Shepherd that never scatters, destroys or hurts. Jesus is the One who always holds you in His heart. He is the Compassionate Shepherd.

And I want to help you a little bit with that word. Because when you hear the word compassion – I don't want any of you to think "weak" because that's not what it means at all. Jesus has compassion. And that word is "splangna." It's where we get the word for "spleen." And so it refers to the bowels or the guts of a person as the seat of one's emotions. We normally relate it in our language with the heart. But what it's most literally saying here is that when Jesus saw the crowds, and had compassion on them, it's saying that it was a splangidzomai. There was an explosion deep down inside of Him. It is as if when He saw the crowds that His guts were ripped apart. That's what it means for Jesus to have compassion.

This splangidzomai or compassion is what the Good Samaritan had when he saw his enemy struggling to survive alongside the road. It is what the Father of the prodigal had going on inside of him when he saw his ragged, filthy son coming home from a distance. It's something that we only ever see our Savior do perfectly and when we see it in Jesus we know immediately that His kind of compassion is more powerful than any nuclear bomb and has more potential than any growing seed! No matter how much in our text Jesus wanted to get away from the crowds. No matter how much unbelief He encountered in all of His travels. The Lord's heart was moved at the sight of the crowd coming toward Him. Why? Because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

For further proof that this compassion, or this splagna, is not a weak word is the fact that we're not very good at it. Perhaps you heard about the husband who lacked compassion. Early one morning his wife whose job often took her on travels all over the world, left for a trip abroad. And it was on that very day that their pet poodle died. When she called home that evening, she asked how everything was - and her husband bluntly blurted out, "Well the dog died!" Shocked, she scolded him through the tears for being so heartless. "What should I have said?" he asked.

"You should have broken the news gently, perhaps in stages. When I called you from here in New York, you could have said, 'The Dog is on the roof.' And the next day when I called you from London, 'He fell off the roof.' The following day from Paris, you could have told me, 'He is at the vet's...in the hospital.' And finally, from Rome, I could have then been informed, 'he died.'" Her husband paused and thought about the advice. Just then his wife asked, "By the way, how is mother?" He said, "She’s on the roof!"

Compassion is something that Jesus has. His guts are ripped apart because the people are like shepherd-less sheep. Nobody has been tending them. And sheep without a shepherd wander and die. So everything stops. Jesus begins to teach them about the Kingdom of God. Luke 9 tells us that He healed all those that needed healing. And when they got hungry, He fed them – all 5,000, plus the women and children. Jesus does everything that you would expect from a true Shepherd of the people.

From Ezekiel 34, we read, For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord God. "I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy I will feed them with judgment."

You see Jesus IS the Messianic King who was promised in our OT lesson to be raised up – a righteous branch who will rule God's people. But He is also identified here with the Father's work as promised in Ezekiel 34. To tend them in good pasture and care for them. To search for them and bring them back. To shepherd them with justice. And the manner by which He does all of this is so extraordinary. For Jesus, this Compassionate Shepherd, lays down His life for the sheep. He willingly went to the cross and He became the lamb of God, the lamb of sacrifice who died in our place and rose back to life to take away all of our sins and bring us back to God. For the compassion of God is chiefly known in showing mercy and forgiveness to sinners. And that's what He continues to do.

Through called pastors of the Gospel, or shepherds as they are sometimes called, God's Word goes forth to proclaim freedom and release from sin to all who are scattered and destroyed. Know this day that through the Gospel that your sins are forgiven. Know that you are not destroyed, but loved. Know that though you are wounded, it is here in the Means of Grace that you are bandaged and made well. His teaching and healing continues to come to you, His teaching and healing continues to come to you as well as a Meal of forgiveness that is far more satisfying that fish and loaves.

Make no mistake. Though others have failed, Jesus does not. He is your Shepherd. He loves you so much that sometimes it's like His guts are ripped apart. And on the cross, His body was for you. He's got you in His heart. He is your shepherd. And He's compassionate. Amen.