Shepherd and Righteous King
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
Therefore, the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when it shall no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of Egypt’, but ‘As the Lord lives who brought out and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had driven them. Then they shall live in their own land. (NRSV)
In the Old Testament lesson for today -- Friday the Week of 4 Lent Year One (BCP 954) -- Jeremiah rails against the ruling class of Judah who use their rank and authority for selfish purposes, greed, avarice, wealth, power -- to enrich themselves by abusing God’s people entrusted to their care. Jeremiah delivers his prophecy in the form of oracle, in which the Lord himself is speaking. This oracle has condemnation, but it also has warm promise.
Prophesying against the rulers in Jerusalem who abused the people was Jeremiah’s ministry as a prophet. He was himself abused, mistreated badly. In the end of course the Babylonians overran Judah and Jerusalem and took the ruling classes away into Babylonian Exile. Jeremiah, we might say, thus proved to have been a “true prophet” as opposed to “false prophet.” As for Jeremiah’s own fate, there is a foolish tradition that he went to Ireland. More likely, based on Jeremiah 43 and following, is the tradition that he escaped to Egypt and died there. But we don’t really know.
Understanding Jeremiah’s prophecy as messianic, Christians see Jesus in the words about a new shepherd and righteous king coming to the throne of David. Jesus of Nazareth some seven centuries later was not what Jeremiah had in mind. But it seems to have been the Lord’s intent beyond Jeremiah’s knowing.
Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
TW+