18 July 2021: Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary time B

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Jer 23:1-6	Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6	Eph 2:13-18	Mk 6:30-34
		RCL: Eph 2:11-22	RCL: Mk 6:30-34, 53-56

Discipleship: action, reflection, compassion

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on good practices for shepherds and disciples.

First reading (Jer 23:1-6)

The first reading is from the prophet Jeremiah, who prophesied in Judah (the southern kingdom) as Babylon was coming to power. In today’s pericope, Jeremiah criticizes the Jewish leaders (specifically king Zedekiah) for their poor care of the Jewish people (“woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock”). The leaders’ behavior (“evil deeds”), such as worshiping foreign gods and provoking the Babylonian empire, will result in the Babylonian exile. God, the true shepherd, promises to return the people from exile (“I myself will gather the remnant”) and “appoint” good shepherds from David’s line (“a righteous shoot to David”). This future shepherd’s name (“the Lord our justice”) is an ironic wordplay on king Zedekiah, whose name means “the Lord is justice.” Unlike Zedekiah, the future king will be true to his name. The Lectionary editors chose this reading because the image as God as true and caring shepherd is echoed in the words and actions of Jesus in today’s gospel.

Second reading (Eph 2:13-18)

The second reading is from the semi-continuous reading from the letter to the Ephesus ekklesia. In this pericope, the Ephesians author contrasts the division that existed before Christ’s saving act with the unity that now prevails in the believing community. Gentiles (“you who were once far off”) have been incorporated into God’s people (“have become near”) through Christ’s saving death (“blood”). Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians now have equal standing before God (“made both one”). The Law’s rules about Temple worship and meal-sharing separated Jews from gentiles. Through his transformative death and resurrection, Christ “broke down the dividing wall” of the Law; his saving action (“through the cross”) reconciles Jews and gentiles (“both”) with God. Both gentile Christians and Jewish Christians have equal “access to the Father” through the “one Spirit.” Access is a liturgical term that describes “approaching God in worship.” The Lectionary editors chose this reading as part of Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Ephesians.

Gospel (Mk 6:30-34)

In Mark’s gospel, the apostles (“the sent ones”) return and report to Jesus “all they had done and taught.” The crowd interrupts the disciples’ ongoing formation and elicits Jesus’ compassion, which becomes another teaching moment for the disciples.

• Discipleship training, interrupted. Last week, Jesus sent the Twelve to preach and to heal. Today they return and report their results. Jesus invites his disciples to refresh themselves with him in the wilderness. In this scene, Mark offers discipleship’s essence: doing what Jesus does (mighty works and teaching) and being with Jesus. But the crowds interrupt the disciples’ quiet time; they don’t even have time to eat (later in this story they end up serving the hungry crowd). Disciples must balance service (doing and teaching) with reflection (resting). When disciples lose this balance, their service can become self-serving and their reflection can become self-pity.
• Jesus’ compassion for the lost. Jesus has a deep physical and emotional reaction to the crowd and their needs. The Greek verb σπλαγχνίζομαι/splanchnízomai, translated here as a “heart moved to pity,” actually means “to have an emotional and physical reaction in one’s ‘inner parts.'” In Hebrew scripture, the same emotional/physical response lies behind God’s “merciful love” (raḥûm or raḥămîn): “with everlasting love I will have compassion on you” (Is 54:7-8). Jesus feels compassion for a leaderless people and acts to address their spiritual hunger (and later in the story their physical hunger as well). Mark’s story teaches the believing community that disciples must also be concerned for and act on people’s physical and spiritual hunger.

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about teachers and disciples, shepherds and sheep. Jeremiah warns the Jewish leaders that they are bad shepherds of God’s people, but promises God will continue to care for the flock. The Ephesians author reminds his hearers that Christ’s transformative death unites and reconciles both gentiles and Jews to their common Father. Jesus calls his disciples to reflection after their mission, but encounters a lost people in need of care and leadership. Disciples live in tension between serving others and being with Jesus. As good shepherds, are we true to God’s messages, rather than our own? As disciples-in-formation, do interruptions of “doing and teaching” take away from being alone with Jesus in prayer and silence? As believing community members, do we find in God’s merciful love a model of concern and care for others?

—Terence Sherlock